The Promise
by hazelmom
Summary: Danny has to face the danger of being 5-0 and losing his daughter. Only Steve can keep him alive. Pre-slash
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I so hope you like this. It is angsty as hell, and within that, I am working very hard to keep Steve and Danny in character. Enjoy! Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 1

Kamekona smiled into the sun. It was a Saturday morning which was generally lucrative for shave ice. Business had been good, Mom's rent was paid, and in the distance, his favorite Jersey cop and daughter were strolling up. It was becoming a ritual on Saturdays. She ordered cherry/mango, and her dad ordered strawberry/blueberry.

Kamekona waved. "Hey haole man! And here comes the little princess."

Danny grinned. "Hey big man! You remember what we like, right?"

Kamekona shoveled it up, making sure to give them an extra squirt of each flavor. "What up, 5-0?"

"Believe it or not, it was a quiet week. McGarrett let us off at noon yesterday."

Kamekona gave Grace her shave ice with great ceremony. "How's my island princess?"

Grace grinned at him. She was a pretty girl though she didn't take after her pops much with those brown eyes, but that's about the only thing the two didn't have in common. Kamekona got a kick out of watching the two of them walk hand in hand down the beach on Saturdays. The cop used his hands to gesture a lot, and the little girl watched his every move. The little girl never got bored. Kamekona didn't have much use for cops or haoles, but this one was a little different. He was a tough guy and he gave as good as he got, but he was also a good dad, and he brought the little girl to the beach every Saturday. Kamekona liked it when haoles had dimensions to them.

Danny gave him a friendly nod and steered her down the boardwalk. Kamekona felt like this was shaping into a number one kind of day. He started scooping up an orange ice for a tourist when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. Three men, none of them Hawaiians, came walking in from the parking lot. They wore suits and dark sunglasses, and they strode more with purpose than recreation. Kamekona noted a bulge in one of the suits.

Danny and Grace were still strolling along, oblivious to the situation, but it was clear to Kamekona where these men were headed. He ignored the money that the tourist gave and started walking toward them. He flipped his cell onto his meaty face and waited for an answer. When there was sound on the other end, he spoke without preamble. "Chin, I'm down at my beach stand. Danny showed up with the little girl. I'm watching three men going up to them, and it ain't for conversation. Looks like revenge to me." Kamekona flipped it shut and put it in his pocket without waiting for a response. He started to yell a warning when Danny suddenly turned, his instincts alive.

….

Danny squinted at them. He reached for his gun, and found nothing but empty pockets. Guns weren't for Saturday morning walks on the beach. They looked at him with dark intensity. He knew this look. They had a job, and he was nothing more to them but a means to an end. Panic filled his gut when he realized that Grace was holding his hand. Then he remembered Kamekona. He knelt beside her. "Baby, listen to Danno. I want you to run back to Kamekona. Stay with him."

She looked up with questions, but he shook his head. "Do exactly as I say, Grace. Do it now!"

She stood like a statue, and then he pushed her, "Go!"

Danny turned to run. He hoped that they had no interest in his little girl. He turned to look back, and saw only two of the men in pursuit. It knocked the breath out of his gut. There would be no running away if Grace wasn't safe. Then he spotted the third man, and the man had Grace struggling under his arm. Danny howled and ran right toward the men. This startled them enough so that Danny got the first couple of punches in. He waited for guns, but the men pulled out pipes. Whatever this was, it was meant to be as painful as possible. Danny swung hard, making every connection with whatever flesh was available. He was making progress until a lead pipe landed on his gut. It knocked the breath out of him, and before he could scramble to his feet, the pipe hit him again, and then he felt an explosion at the back of his head and his world went black.

….

Danny was breathing in sand, and started choking. The sun burnt down on him, and he found himself surrounded by strangers. He tried to lift his head but the pain was electric.

"Grace!" he choked on the sand in his throat. "Grace!"

People parted and Kamekona stepped through. There was blood on his forehead, but he was carrying the little girl in his arms. Grace had her face buried in the big man's neck, and her crying was deep and primal. Danny started crying as well, but managed to say, "You saved my baby, big man."

"You would do the same."

Shapes started to blur for him, but he lifted his head once more. "Tell her I'm okay, but don't let her see me like…." His face fell back into the sand.

….

Arms were tugging at him and he tried to fight. Then there was a hand on the side of his face and a very familiar voice, "Don't fight, Danny. The EMTs gotta' load you on the bus."

"Steve?"

McGarrett's deep brown eyes looked down at him. "Did you see faces?"

"Grace?" It came out like a sob, and he choked again on the sand.

Steve held his face. "Kono's holding her. She's okay. Danny, can you remember anything?"

Danny squinted into the light. "Suits. Sunglasses. They wanted to send a message."

Steve furrowed his brow, carefully cradling Danny's bruised face in his hands. "We're going to send our own message. I promise you."

Danny tried to nod but winced at the pain. The EMT got in the way. "We gotta' move him now. Blood pressure is lousy."

Steve resisted for a moment. "You're going to be okay, Danny. We got this."

Then he stepped back. They hauled the stretcher into the back of the bus. Steve wanted to climb in too, but he needed to know what the hell happened to his partner on his day off. The ambulance kicked up sand as it crawled back onto the street. Then his eyes found Kono who herself had puffy, red eyes as she rocked Grace whose sobs had dissolved into moans.

"Kono, take Grace and follow the ambulance. Make sure a doctor looks her over."

Kono nodded and carried the distressed girl to her car. Steve waved over an HPD detective. "I need squads following her. Until I understand what the hell is going on, we assume that my people are still in danger."

Detective nodded and started yelling at a group of uniforms standing in the shade. Then Steve headed in the direction of Kamekona's shave ice stand. The big man sat back in his Adirondack chair with a butterfly bandage on his forehead. Chin knelt beside him. Steve rubbed at his face roughly before he spoke. "Kamekona, you're one of us now. Whatever you need, brother. You saved Danny and Grace."

The big man shrugged. "Ain't got no need to be law enforcement, brudda'. Like the other side of the tracks better, but I appreciate the offer."

Chin looked up at Steve. "Kamekona's going through the story with me."

"What do we know?"

"They're organized. Trained killers."

Steve squinted into the sun. "Then they would have just shot him."

Chin shook his head. "They were sending a message. Two things: they wanted it gruesome and they wanted to show that they could do this in broad daylight to 5-0 and then walk away."

Steve turned to Kamekona. "Your thoughts?"

He narrowed his eyes. "They were men on a mission. No hesitation. They didn't care who saw what."

Steve nodded. "Tell me how it went down."

"I spotted them first. Could tell they were bad news right away. Carried pipes in the sleeves of their suit coats. Not haole but not Hawaiian either. Brown skin. Maybe Latino. I called Chin right away. Danny tried to send his girl to me. Third guy chased her down and picked her up. He pulled out a pipe, and I knew the little princess was going to be part of this _message. _I got the pipe out of his hand and used it on his own head. It took a bit of a scuffle before he finally lay quiet. Then I called for help."

"HPD?"

Kamekona grinned out of one side of his mouth. "I ain't got no use for cops. My peeps are all over. 30 seconds and I had four guys climbing on the two apes beating Danny. One of the devils pulled a gun, and then it was a standoff. We got our limits, you know. Then they grabbed the third guy and dragged him to the car. I gave Chin the plate number, but it ain't going to do you no good. It looked like rental car to me."

"You recognize them?"

The big man shrugged. "I don't know. They reminded me of Ochoa's crew. Out of towners. Stupid. Ugly."

Chin looked at Steve. "His gang is big on sending messages to law enforcement."

"Chin, check the airports. Find out who's been on the move. I'm headed back to the office. Making phone calls."

Chin focused in on Steve. "How you doing, Steve?"

Steve flinched. "And, how are you, Chin?"

"I'm about as angry as I've ever been, but we gotta' be smart."

"I'm feeling no different."

"Go to the hospital, Steve. That's where you belong right now."

Steve shook his head.

"Come on, Steve. You gotta' be there. Take care of him. Talk to Rachel. And if Danny wakes up, he's going to need to see you."

Steve stared out at the surf. Chin gripped his shoulder. "I got it, Boss, for right now. Get down to the hospital. We got no idea what we're dealing with. Somebody may be trying to finish the job."

Steve grimaced. Neither man thought it was probable, but it didn't matter. Seeing Danny is such bad condition left them all unbalanced and upset. And then there was the outrage of someone trying to murder the little girl they'd all grown to love Heads weren't going to clear until they knew more about his condition..

…

Steve had relieved Kono of Grace at the waiting room. The little girl had fallen into a deep, but restless sleep. She was hot and her cheeks were flushed. He knew that she would hold memories of this day for the rest of her life. Whenever she whimpered, he knew little else to do but rock her and whisper, "It's okay" into her ear. The depth of her innocence radiated off of her and it joined his rage. He had little experience with children. Watching Danny and Grace together had been a revelation for him, and it hadn't taken long for him to fall for her too. The little girl shifted and he patted her softly on the back. There was no question that he would protect her with his last breath if needed.

The elevator opened, and Rachel strode toward him, her eyes swollen and red. A man in an expensive suit followed. Steve stood up, and then she was there, pulling Grace into her arms. Jostling woke the girl, and once she saw her mother, the wailing started all over again. Rachel cried with her. Steve was at a loss. Navy SEAL training hadn't prepared him for this. It took minutes, but she finally looked him in the eye. "How's Danny?"

"Uh…he's going to make it. He has a concussion and a few broken ribs. They are…watching for internal bleeding."

She spoke in a low voice. "How did this happen?"

Steve rubbed his forehead. "We don't know. It looks like revenge from one of the gangs we took down."

"You'll never understand, Steve. You won't and Danny never will either. The people in your life didn't sign up for this, but this is what we get. Does Grace look like 5-0? No, she's a little girl, but she had to take punishment for 5-0. No choices for her. He almost killed her, didn't he?"

Steve closed his eyes. He had no response. Kono stood. "I'm Kono, Rachel. We're so sorry about this. The truth is that we don't have much of a choice about the risks either. This was Danny's day to be with Grace. He looks forward to it all week. If he ever thought…he didn't know anything was going to happen."

Rachel handed Grace to the man beside her. "Stan, can you take Grace over there?"

The well-dressed man nodded and took the little girl back to the elevators. Rachel turned back to Kono and Steve. "I know this isn't anyone's fault. Danny would do anything to keep her safe. I know how much he loves her, but Danny works a job where his life is at risk too often. There is no way for Grace to not end up a part of that risk. We can't escape that."

Steve nodded.

Rachel sighed. "I need to know exactly what she saw. I need to know what she experienced."

"It was very short. I don't have all the details."

Rachel stamped her foot angrily on the floor. "You aren't going to take her home, and wake up to her nightmares all night long. You're not going to have to find the therapist who meets with her twice a week. You won't have to deal with the fear she will have leaving house and going to school. And you're not going to have to talk to the teachers about her falling grades. She's 7 years old. Her world is still small or it was until about two hours ago. Do you understand me?"

Steve nodded. "I apologize."

Rachel closed her eyes. "Just tell me what she saw."

Kono put a hand on Steve's shoulder and stepped forward. "She saw her dad being beaten. She herself was grabbed by a strange man who wanted to hurt her. Kamekona, a friend of ours, attacked the man and saved her. She saw that her dad was hurt, but we couldn't let her get too close. She's terribly frightened and worried about her dad. We're so sorry. We couldn't anticipate this, but you're right. The risks we take extend to our families. And you should know that we won't stop until we know who did this, and we will shut them down. It's who we are. It's what we do."

Rachel's face softened. "Thank you, Kono. I needed to know what I'm dealing with. She loves her dad so much…we both love him. But I'm pretty sure that's not enough."

There was something about her voice that scared Steve. He spoke slowly. "Danny needs her, and she needs him. Please Rachel, remember that."

"None of that makes any difference if we lose her, does it? Tell Danny I'll be back to see him in a couple of days."

Rachel turned and walked back to the elevator. Grace reached for her, and she pulled her daughter in. The connection that Steve saw between the two was as strong as what Danny and his daughter had. It was clear that both of these people would do whatever it took to keep their child safe.

…..

Steve sent Kono back to the office in the evening. He knew he should go to, but he felt unable to leave until he saw Danny with his eyes open. He set up camp in Danny's room, and convinced the nurses he was family. It wasn't a lie. Family was very important to Steve McGarrett. He had a family as a child and he had a family when he led men in the SEALs. Now, he was on his third family, and the connections felt even stronger than what he remembered with the SEALs. The man in the bed was the biggest reason for that. Danny brought a ferocity to the team that reminded Steve of the SEALs. But he also brought a sense of his humanity that was compelling. Danny held nothing back: he was funny, exasperating, relentless, loyal, and sweet. In the first few months, Danny had proven his loyalty and grit a thousand times, but more than that, he'd showed them all how much he cared about the work and who he was working with.

Steve was just drifting off in his chair when Danny stirred. He sat up and found Danny looking at him intensely.

"Hey Danny."

Danny worked his dry mouth for a moment. Then he whispered, "How bad is it?"

Steve started to smile. "You're going to be just fine, partner."

Danny wrinkled his brow. "How bad?"

"Uh…you have three broken ribs and a closed skull fracture. You're not going to be feeling right for a while. They're still watching you for internal bleeding. Blood pressure's been wonky."

Danny moaned and shook his head. Then he turned back to Steve, "Grace?"

"She's okay, Danny. She's with Rachel. HPD is watching the house."

Danny's eyes watered. "She saw too much."

"I know Danny. I'm so sorry."

"Do we know anything?"

"Chin and Kono are working our networks."

"You go too, Steve. Get out there. Find out what the hell happened to us."

Steve leaned forward. "I needed to see my partner awake before I could clear my head."

Danny squeezed his eyes closed. "Even with the headache and the concussion, I can still see the man standing over Grace with that pipe. I can see it clear as day. I couldn't get to her, and he was going to kill her."

Steve let out a deep breath.

Danny tried to move his head but the pain shot down his neck and he stiffened. "Steve, the only way you can help me right now is getting out there and finding the animals that touched her. I can rest better if I know you're out there."

"I got it, Danny." Steve got up and gathered his stuff.

Danny's brow furrowed. "Steve, was Rachel here?"

"Yeah."

"What did she say?"

"She was upset and scared. She was worried for Grace…for you. She said she'd be back to see you in a couple of days."

Danny's eyes narrowed. "Did she mention a promise? Did she talk about the promise?"

"No…she didn't say anything about a promise."

Danny relaxed back into his pillow.

"What promise, Danny?"

Danny closed his eyes. "Nothing, Steve. Please go find those animals for me."

Steve hesitated. "Danny?"

Danny didn't respond. Eyes closed, his breathing stayed restless. Steve watched him for a few moments before finally leaving.

….

Steve sat at his desk, fighting both exhaustion and rage. He hadn't gone home since he saw Danny at the hospital, hadn't showered, and survived off of what he could find in the vending machines for the last 48 hours. He'd called in all the favors he could think to do. Chin was meeting with DEA and HPD Drug Task Force as a result. He knew that he should be there but the thoughts that came to him were only vengeful ones, not worthy of a Navy SEAL or the head of a Governor's Task Force.

Chin and Kono had been working non-stop, but they had also been taking time for sleep and meals. He knew he should be the one leading by example but he was stuck with endless images of his best friend lying bloody in the sand while a man got ready to swing a pipe at Grace.

Chin and Kono stepped in his office and he looked up. "Ochoa is dead, but a few of his people never left. They're still trying to gain a foothold in the drug trade in town. We've got a lead on two of their hideouts."

Steve's eyes were blurry as he absorbed Chin's information. He motioned for both of them to sit. "What else?"

Kono looked at her cousin before responding. "Word from some sources on the street say that they trying to move product. Other sources say they've dried up."

Steve nodded. "We'll take them down at both locations."

Chin sighed. "And the cartel will send even more men to seek revenge. We'll have our own little gang war."

Frustration rose in Steve's voice. "What's the alternative? We let this pass…until what? Maybe, it's you next, Chin? Or you, Kono? What if they stay focused on Danny or Grace? Are we okay with that? They were almost massacred today."

Chin was on his feet. "Steve, come on. Of course, we're not okay with it, but we make mistakes when we think we can play their game at their level. We beat them at our game, not theirs."

Steve fixed his mouth in a line. Chin was right. He needed to rely on the man's sense of reason.

"I've met with the DEA and HPD drug task force like you asked. They want 'em too. Not just because they tried to cap a member of law enforcement. They know that this will grow into a monster that cannot be controlled. This is just the beginning."

Steve stood up and paced. "Tell me more."

"We're going to triple team them. They are going to get jaywalking tickets, parking tickets…then we'll graduate to disorderly conduct. There won't be a member of that gang who isn't going to be looking to make bail by the end of the week. Next week, we do it all over again. They're not going to move product. We're going to make it impossible."

"And that's the best we can do for Danny and Grace?" Steve said, his emotions rising in him again.

Kono winced. "Boss, we think this is how we'll hurt them the worst. If they can't make money here, they'll have to go somewhere else."

"You think we're looking for the easy way out. Is that what you are saying?" Chin challenged. His exhaustion was starting to show as well.

Steve closed his eyes. "That is not what I am saying. I apologize for the implication. I don't know. I am so…I don't know what's wrong…I'm so angry…I'm thinking like a gangster right now…that's what I'm doing."

Kono urged him to sit again. "You haven't slept, Boss."

"I close my eyes and I see a man grabbing Grace. I see Danny in the sand, beaten, and unable to do anything for his daughter. It's overwhelming. And then I ask myself what I could have done differently to keep them safer. And I think about the danger I've put both of you in, and I wonder how it's possible for us to survive at this and not play their game."

"That's no good," Kono's voice was soothing, her hand rubbing his back. "It just happened. It may happen again and it may not. We can't spend our lives like fugitives. It's not who we are."

Steve's breathing settled.

Chin said. "Our plan is to run them out of town, Steve, and if we find the beasts that match the line-up photos, we're going to bring 'em down hard. Very hard. I think it is a good way to back Danny, don't you?"

"Agreed." Steve rubbed his face. "But we hurt them in every way possible. I want the word out on the street that their product is bad. I don't want petty arrests. I want you to push them until they snap. I want them neck deep in so much trouble that they can't focus on anything other than court dates."

"Sounds good."

Steve stood. "I should go and update Danny."

"Danny's sleeping," Kono said. "I just called. Go home, take a shower, get some sleep. I'll let you know when he's awake."

Steve looked lost for a moment. A man of action, a trained killing machine, doesn't rest while the threat continues to exist.

Chin noticed, reached for his keys, and gestured at Steve. "My place is only five minutes. Go crash. Take a shower. Anything happens and you'll be here fast."

Steve seemed to deflate a bit. He caught the keys that Chin threw and walked away.

…

Danny knew her scent so well. In the early years, he thought it was perfume. But then he learned it was the only the cocoa butter soap she always used, and it made him fall in love all over again. Danny liked simple and clean things, and at first glance, Rachel had been the ideal representation.

Her chin was on his chest and he could feel her uneven breathing. He didn't open his eyes right away. For a moment, he could pretend she was here for him, and the two of them would go home to Grace, and this whole thing would be forgotten. The pain of regret got stuck in his throat and he stifled a whimper.

She lifted her head and waited. Danny opened his eyes reluctantly and looked at her. In his mind, he'd imagined her in all her beauty, the exquisite porcelain doll he'd married 8 years ago, but this was a woman who'd been crying for days. Her face was red and puffy and wet.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know."

"Where is she?"

Rachel rubbed at her swollen eyes. "She's sleeping. A sedative. A doctor had to come over. Our 7 year old needs sedatives."

Danny winced.

"You know why I'm here, Danny."

He looked away.

You promised me that if this ever happened, you would step away."

His chin trembled.

She swallowed a sob. "Doing this to you is killing me, but you promised. You agreed that her safety comes before anything else."

"How long?" he whispered.

She pushed the hair out of her eyes. "I know how much she means to you, and you're everything to her. It makes me green with envy sometimes."

"How long, Rachel?"

"You can't be bouncing in and out of her life. Think how disruptive it would be. Think about how it hurts her."

Sound caught in his throat, and it took a moment for him to find words. "You want me to say good-bye to her forever?"

Rachel sighed raggedly. "Until she's old enough to take care of herself, Danny. Until she understands who her father is and what it means to be close to you."

Danny put a hand over his face, and tried to muffle the emotion swelling within him.

"You'll hate me for this now. Maybe you will forever. I don't know. I only know that it is the right thing for our little girl. You have to understand that, Danny."

He turned away from her, moaning as he moved his damaged ribs.

"I think we both know that bringing her to see you right now would be the wrong thing. She's so traumatized. She already has such scary images of you being beaten and your bruises are in full bloom now. Stan is chartering a plane tomorrow. We're going to take her to London, to my mother's house. You know how safe she feels there. We'll get a therapist. She'll be seen several times a week, I'm sure. You can call me for updates."

He didn't move.

"In 6 months or so, we'll come back. If you're still in Hawaii, we'll manage somehow, but I suspect that getting back to Jersey is going to be a priority for you now that nothing is holding you back. There will be pictures. Maybe Skype. If it's not too hard on her, maybe the two of you can be in touch electronically. Maybe you can see her on holidays in a year or two."

She waited for some acknowledgement but there was none. It was as if he'd gone back to sleep but she knew better than that. She squeezed his arm. "I know you won't believe this, Danny, but I still love you very much. If I could think of another way, I'd do it. I don't want to hurt you. But the truth is, Danny, that as much as I love you, I love her more. Clearly, I have to be the adult here, and do what's best for her. I just pray that one day you'll understand why this has to happen."

Then she dropped her face onto his chest and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Danny." For a while, she just laid there, sobbing.

Finally he put his arm around her and whispered into her hair. "I probably will hate you, but I know you're right. Just make sure she knows her Danno loves her very much. She must never think that I stopped caring. She must never doubt my love. Do you understand?"

She lifted her head and nodded.

Then he closed his eyes. "Please go now. I can't…please, just go now. Go be with Grace. She needs you."

Rachel stood. "Danny…"

He put up a hand. "No more, Rachel. Just go."

….

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Another long chapter. I hope the chapters aren't too long. Let me know. There should be five chapters in all. Last night, 5-0 was so completely bromantic. "You Neanderthal animal!" and _Sexy Eyes _by Dr. Hook. The writers and producers know we're giddy for the bromance and they are having fun with us. I love it. Thanks for taking time to review. It inspires me to write more. Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 2

Steve sat up before his phone finished the first ring. He planted it on his ear. "…Kono?...Danny's not eating?...I thought they weren't worried about any more bleeding in his gut…Is he conscious?...but he refuses to talk…no, don't worry. I'm rested enough. I'll be there in 10 minutes.

…..

Steve entered the room slowly. Danny was awake but he didn't acknowledge him. Steve took a deep breath. "Hey, Danny, I came to check on you. I heard that you're staging a bit of a hunger strike. Doctors were going to open you up, see if there was some bleeding still, but you have no fever. They don't know what to think. You have us a bit worried."

Danny's eyes followed him, but he still said nothing. Steve could see a profound sadness in those eyes, but he didn't press. He sat down next to him and put a hand on his arm. "I did a little detecting with the nurses. It seems your decline happened right after a visit from Rachel. They say that she left very upset."

Danny turned his head away.

"Is Grace okay, Danny?"

His eyes closed and for a few minutes, the two of them were silent, nothing moving but their measured breathing. Steve waited as he had learned in the SEALs about staying still until the right moment.

Tears started down Danny's face and he slowly turned to Steve. "She took my child."

Steve's hand went to his mouth, but he tried to cover his shock by scratching absently at his stubble. "Only for a few weeks, right?"

"She's traumatized, Steve. She's not sleeping, eating. I destroyed her innonence."

"She'll be fine, Danny. She's a little girl. She'll be right in a few months."

Danny shook his head slowly. "I made Rachel a promise when we split that if Grace ever ended up at risk because of my work, Rachel would gain full custody. We agreed that her safety was our biggest priority."

"She knows it's not your fault, Danny," Steve hissed.

Danny grimaced. "Years ago, I worried about this so much that I quit the police force for a few months. Tried to get a regular job. I was a menace. Got fired three times in two months. What I do is who I am."

"Rachel will listen to reason. Just give her a couple of weeks."

Danny looked at him with red eyes. "She's right, Steve. It doesn't matter how much I love her. I didn't protect her. I can't protect her. This will be hard for her, but Rachel is an amazing mom, and she'll adjust and I'll be the dad she lost because he put his work before his family. Rachel says that maybe she'll even let me talk to her on the internet. She said skype. What the hell is that, anyway?"

"Is Rachel home now? I'm going to go talk to her."

Danny shook his head. "They're going to England today to be with her mother. Grace adores her grandmothers. She needs a safe place to be right now."

"We'll get a lawyer. A promise is not a custody agreement."

"She's not the monster in this story. God knows I want her to be, but she's not. She's the adult and I'm the kid who wants to carry a gun. I've always had a dangerous job, but then I came here and hooked up with your high octane free-for-all task force and I should have known better."

Steve just stared at him, but Danny put a hand on his arm. "Don't stare at me with those eyes. You're ready to take responsibility for this whole debacle, but you can't. I had choices. Plus, despite my complaining, I have loved every moment of my time with 5-0. This is who I am, like it or not. There is something about you and I together; a sort of chemistry that drives me. I feel alive every day."

Steve grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "You're talking like things are done; decisions have been made."

"I don't know. Rachel suggested I go back to Jersey. I could do that or stay down here and let things take its natural course. The way we engage bad guys around here, I figure I got another 6 months tops anyway."

"Jesus, Danny, stop….Just stop, please." Steve let go of him and sat back, hands shaking. "No decisions yet. You're still in a goddamn hospital bed and you're not thinking straight!"

Danny nodded. "I'm sorry. I'm just too sad. Forget what I said."

Steve stood up, careful not to look Danny in the eye. "I need…we have a lot of work to do. I want you to rest. Don't go to this dark place again…It's bad…We're going to make this right, Danny. Just rest."

He didn't wait for a response. It was like he was holding his breath striding past the nurses, and when the elevator doors finally closed and he was alone, he dropped his head and choked out a single sob.

…..

Steve smudged his arms and face with charcoal. He wore a tight black tee and black leggings, but his feet were bare. Kamekona cocked his head, "You don't like to do anything the easy way, do you?"

Steve didn't answer. He was mentally preparing himself for the climb down the cliff. The topography wasn't as easy as he had hoped. He strapped a gun to his thigh, a survival pack to his waist, a rifle to his shoulder, and a knife on his ankle. He took a few calming breaths. It was never good to start a mission with nervous energy.

"You remember how I suggested we talk to Chin before doing this. I really think we oughta' do that, don't you?"

Steve tightened the straps on everything and loosened his arm and leg muscles. It was like Kamekona wasn't even there.

Kamekona folded his arms. "You're a machine, my friend, like Terminator or something."

Steve worked his neck for a moment and then finally turned his attention to Kamekona. "You remember everything I told you?"

He nodded. "I give you 20 minutes to climb down this cliff, and then I drive down the hill and ask for Chin."

Steve could see the deep frown in Kamekona's face. "Relax. I know what I'm doing."

"I never knew you were such a crazy haole. Always thought you were human like the rest of us."

Steve looked at him for a moment. "You are about to see exactly what happens to people who mess with my team."

"No worries, Brudda'. I ain't about to get on your bad side."

Steve took a deep breath and then started down the rocky face.

….

Kamekona waited 15 minutes rather than 20. McGarrett was going to need back-up whether he knew it or not. He started his old van and drove slowly down the cliff. He parked and got out, walking down the street to a couple of vans parked in front of a group of vacation condos. They were pricey properties, situated against the mountain, only a block away from the water.

A couple of suits appeared out of the shadows and approached. They were armed. "Sir, you're going to have to move along."

"You really call this undercover? Must be Feds. You all wear the same suits."

The skinny one brought out a gun. "We asked politely."

Kamekona scowled. "They don't teach you nothin' about how to act on this island, do they?"

"Sir, I am going to have to ask you to put your hands in the air."

"Relax, haole. I ain't here to cause you no trouble. I need to speak to Chin Ho Kelly."

The two men looked at each other. "We don't know anyone by that name."

"Sure you do, he's the good-looking Hawaiian representing the 5-0 task force. I figure he's in one of these trucks. I need you to hunt him up for me. He's going to want to hear what I have to say."

One kept his gun trained on Kamekona while the other one disappeared into the darkness. Kamekona frowned. This wasn't going to work if it took too long to find Chin. He resisted the urge to look over at the cliff to see if he could spot Steve scaling down.

…..

Steve was at the bottom already, mostly because he fell the last twenty feet. He had a sore ankle, but after testing it for strength, he decided it wasn't broken. He imagined the stabbing pain someplace very far away, and turned his focus back to the mission. He scaled a fence and ran through the backyard. Windows told him that three men were drinking and playing pool. He checked other windows. He saw two men sleeping and two more sprawled out on couches watching TV. He pulled a special razor like blade out of the packet on his waist and then proceeded to slowly cut the glass on an empty bedroom window.

…

It took almost ten minutes before the fed returned. Chin was with him. Kamekona breathed a sigh of relief. "Hey Cuz!"

Chin waved away the two feds, and then took Kamekona's arm and steered him away. "What are you doing here? How did you even know I was here? This is no joke, Man. We're in the middle of surveiling the guys that took Danny."

"McGarrett sent me."

Chin's hold on his arm tightened. "Where is he? I've been calling him all night."

Kamekona fixed his eyes through the darkness on the cliff behind Chin and pointed. "My guess is that he's already in that condo you guys are watching."

"What!" Chin wheeled around and looked up at the cliff. "Impossible!"

Kamekona looked at the watch Steve had given him. "He says he's going to call you in about five minutes. He's still got to round those fellas up. He wants you to make sure the feds don't shoot him when he brings them out. And I'm here to identify the three from the beach."

Chin stared at Kamekona for a moment. Then he cursed at the sky and motioned for the big man to follow him. Chin burst into the back of a van, and started shouting. Four people piled out after him, and a suit, presumably the head suit, started yelling at Chin. Kamekona frowned and was getting ready to step in when Chin's phone rang. Chin grabbed the phone and walked away from all of them. Then he unholstered his gun, and signaled for everyone to follow. Carefully, he trotted across the street to the condo. The garage door slowly opened, and he turned, urging everyone to keep guns down. A light went on and the garage revealed five men laying facedown on the concrete, arms extended. Standing over them with a rifle was Steve McGarrett dressed in black, his face a greasy mess of charcoal.

Chin shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me, Steve."

Steve gestured with his head to the door. "There are two in the house still. Head injuries."

Chin gestured toward agents and a crowd of various law enforcement agencies poured into the house. Enough stayed behind so that Steve could put down his gun. A DEA supervisor paced in front of him for a moment and then pointed a finger. "You're a psycho, you know that? I've heard about you. I will have you up on federal charges if this case crumbles under your illegal entry." Then he disappeared into the house.

Steve ignored him and looked for Kamekona. When he spotted the big man, he gestured for him. Kamekona came up and started looking at the faces of Ochoa men. Kamekona went back and forth in front of them for 10 minutes. Finally, he reached down and felt the back of one man's head. The man yelped. Kamekona turned to Steve, "This is the one that tried to hurt the little princess. I found the scab on his head where I hit him."

Kamekona took another look at the men on the floor. "These two on the end are the ones that went after Danny."

Steve stared at him intensely. "You sure?"

Kamekona nodded. "I pay attention to things. It's my work. These are the right ones."

Steve motioned for HPD officers to separate them out. "Charge them with the attempted murder of a police officer and his daughter."

HPD loaded all of the men into a van. Chin and the red-faced DEA supervisor came out of the house. The supervisor headed for Steve again. "You are a menace! God knows if we'll get actual convictions out of this mess! I'm going straight to the governor, McGarrett!"

Steve didn't even flinch. He looked at the man like he was a sand fly. Chin stepped forward. "Agent Barkley, I think we can all agree that this is neither the time or the place for this conversation."

The agent glared at McGarrett for another minute. Then he straightened his jacket and marched off. Chin waited until the garage held only himself, Kamekona, and Steve. Chin glared at him. "No more team, huh? You're freelancing now. Gonna' just drop down a cliff and do it yourself. Good to know."

Steve flashed back. "It would have taken weeks for the _interagency collaboration _to agree on anything."

Chin threw up his hands. "So what, Steve? It would have been done legally. It would have been done without risk to human life. You dropped off a cliff and then illegally entered a home with assassins. No back up!"

"The charges will stick."

Chin narrowed his eyes. "I don't work like this, Steve. People spent years trying to make me a corrupt cop. I color inside the lines. Do you hear me? If this is the new 5-0, you can count me out!"

Steve sighed. "I…couldn't stand it any longer."

"Danny's in the hospital and Rachel took that precious little girl away. And it all comes back to the work. I know you. You have to take responsibility for everything that goes wrong. It's tearing at you. I get it, but this was wrong, Steve."

"I didn't put any of you at risk."

Chin grabbed his shoulders. "You could have died. It was foolish and stupid. You brought us together. Don't you understand? We've made a family. And we make a difference. We keep this island safe. We lose you, we lose…too much. I was working in a frickin' gift shop when you found me, Steve. I lose everything."

Steve blinked. "I didn't think…"

Chin shook him. "You are not expendable! We need you!"

Then Chin stepped back and pointed at Steve. "You're family and family doesn't do this to one another. So knock it off." Then he turned and walked out of the garage.

Kamekona came over and patted him on the back. "It ain't easy being a superhero, Brudda'."

Steve wiped at his face and grimaced at the dirt in his hand.

…..

Danny sat on his couch and tried to differentiate between the pounding in his head and the pounding on the door. He was also trying to remember if he took the correct medication. There were three identical bottles and he had been schooled carefully on what was for what by the no nonsense nurse he hired. Half an hour ago, he'd taken two from the pain bottle, but the pain was getting worse, and he wondered if he'd accidentally taken two from the seizure bottle and that wasn't good because he was never to take more than one of the seizure meds. If he screwed that up, a host of calamities were awaiting him according to Nurse No Nonsense who sat with him for an hour, patiently going over instructions. She'd been surprised when he politely told her he pay her for the day, but he no longer needed any nursing services. She lectured him extensively on the meaning of home health nursing and the seriousness of a healing skull fracture. He drowned out her words until she stopped moving her mouth and then he led her to the door. She left making threats about calling the hospital and telling his doctor that Mr. Williams was at home with insufficient care.

The pounding beat double time again, and he noted that it was clearly coming from the door as well as his head. He doubted the nurse would pound so forcefully and his doctor wouldn't let something like a non-compliant patient interrupt his golf game. Danny knew it was 5-0, but he'd closed the shades and hoped his teammates could take a hint. The pounding on the door stopped again, and Danny prayed that the pounding in his head would follow.

He wanted to sleep, but whatever he'd taken had left him as shaky as a leaf. He heard scratching at the door now, and it took a moment for him to decipher what that meant. Just as he was going to attempt to rise from the couch, the door opened wide and Kono stood in his doorway, hands on her hips. He squinted at the sunlight pouring in behind her.

"Did you really think you were going to get away with this?"

Danny groaned. "I just want to be home and get some sleep. The doctor released me."

She came in, shut the door, and searched for a lamp. "Where's your home health nurse?"

"Shopping," he offered.

"Yeah, right," she muttered as she took stock of the mess around her. She located the prescription bottles on the coffee table and picked them up. She peered at them closely for a moment. "Which ones did you take and how long ago did you take them?"

Danny shrugged. "I took two from one of the bottles a while ago."

She looked at him sharply. "But you don't know which bottle?"

"The pain bottle."

She displayed the three bottles for him. "Which is the pain bottle?"

"I don't remember."

"Exactly!" She stuffed them in her bag. Then she disappeared into his bedroom. Danny waited. She returned with a suitcase and several pairs of his underwear.

He frowned. "That's my private stuff."

"I know. We'll both be scarred for life." She disappeared again.

"I'm not going back to the hospital!" He yelled.

She appeared again with socks, pants, and shirts. "Wouldn't dream of sending you back there. You've healed just enough to be yourself again. The hospital is unprepared for a cranky and alert Danny Williams."

"Then where am I going and where is Steve? I haven't seen him since…um, I was having a bad day the last time he visited. I haven't seen any of you guys."

Kono stopped her gathering. She closed her eyes for a moment. "The last couple of days have been crazy. We haven't…okay, let me sit down."

She sat on the couch and took his hand. "I'm sorry. I can't believe we didn't do this earlier. We located Ochoa's people. Had a stakeout and we caught them, all three of them."

Danny blinked. "The bastard that touched my child?"

She nodded. "They have arraignment hearings today."

"Let's go see 'em."

She looked at him warily. "Maybe in a few days."

"Now!" He barked.

She shook her head and laughed. "He's not going anywhere, Danny. Right now, you're not even sure what medicine you just took or when. Besides, you don't look strong enough to make it to the mailbox."

"Where's Steve?"

"Well, we're going to his house right now."

"Oh no, I'm not letting him play nurse."

"We're all going to be there. Set up the office there. Our regular space has been shut down for a few days."

The pounding in his head intensified. "What the hell is going on around here? Nothing you say makes any sense to me! Where's Steve?"

She sighed. "I'm going to take you through this slowly. We found Ochoa's men and had them staked out. We were waiting for them to leave. We were going to follow and harass them. HPD and DEA were there with us. Our boss decided that this plan was taking too long. So, two nights ago, he scaled the cliff behind their condo, broke in, and subdued all 7 of them."

Danny's eyes widened. "You let him do that with no back up!"

"We didn't know. Kamekona identified the three men that attacked you and Grace. HPD arrested them. DEA threw a fit about illegal entry and went to the governor."

"I'll bet they did."

"Steve's been in meetings since yesterday afternoon. The governor suspended 5-0 operations temporarily pending a disciplinary hearing. Steve had Chin and I take files and equipment over to his place just in case, DEA showed up with a warrant."

Danny's breath quickened. "I should be there."

She shook her head. "Chin has it. You, my friend, are in no position to advocate for anybody."

"They are closing down 5-0?"

She stroked his shoulder. "It's okay, Danny. The governor still loves 5-0, but she's going through the motions to appease the feds."

Danny closed his eyes and settled his breathing. Kono worried her lip for a moment before saying, "I'm so sorry about Grace."

Danny flinched as soon as she said it.

"I shouldn't have said anything."

Danny looked at her with tired eyes. "Do you honestly believe that there will come a time when it won't hurt so much?"

"I don't know, Danny. My mom says it does get better for some. In other cases, she says that people just get numb to the pain."

….

He opened his eyes and saw the most amazing sunset. His eyes closed again. Kono had deposited him on Steve's lanai on a deck chair and a blanket. The heat competed with a brisk ocean breeze and it resulted in the perfect conditions for a long nap.

At one point, Kono came out while on her cell phone talking to his doctor. She said several pointed things to the doc that he objected to, but his eyelids dropped again before he could argue with her. Another time she woke him up and made him swallow pills. She looked serious and he didn't protest.

He remembered how lovely the sunset was and opened his eyes again. The orange shimmering sun has almost disappeared into the water. He heard movement beside and turned his head to find Steve sitting next to him, watching him closely. He was wearing his dress whites and it sort of suggested to Danny that Steve had become an angel.

Steve smiled.

Danny frowned. "That's your best Navy outfit."

"It's a uniform, Danny, and I thought it would help. The governor seems to have a thing for men in uniform."

"Did it work?"

Steve sighed. "All 5-0 operations are suspended for the next month. I am supposed to become more familiar with due process and other things. I have to take a legal procedures review course."

"It won't help."

Steve grimaced. "Thanks."

Danny studied him for a moment. "Scaling down a cliff, breaking in without a warrant, and arresting 7 assassins without back up was idiotic. Do you think you were Spiderman, maybe? Do you need medication for delusions?"

Steve's face colored. "I was not myself."

"Actually it sounds like you were exactly yourself which is what we've been trying to avoid all these months."

"Yeah." Steve looked away.

Danny swallowed. "You visited me in the hospital. I was upset about Grace. I don't remember what was said, but I remember the look on your face when you left. I would love to know how long after that you pulled your little stunt. What did I say to you?"

Steve shook his head. "You didn't say anything wrong. You were sad and you told the truth. I run 5-0 like we're living on borrowed time. I don't show proper concern for anyone's safety. It's not fair to any of you."

Danny sighed deeply. "Steve, you are such a piece of work. You know that, right?"

Steve shrugged. "Well, it's always good to hear it from the expert."

"You and I are going to have a series of long talks about this. I thought I was raising only one kid but with you around…"

They both stopped while Danny absorbed another reminder of his loss. He stifled a noise and then turned his attention back to the fading sunset.

Steve put a hand on his thigh. "We both have some work to do, Danny. I need you to help me and you need to let me help you. Have you talked to Rachel since they left?"

Danny shook his head. "I'm not yet capable of being a person on the phone with her."

"Then tonight, I'll call her and get an update on Grace."

Danny didn't move but his breathing deepened. For a long time he said nothing. Then he heard sounds from inside and furrowed his brow. "Is she still here?"

"Kono? Yeah, she's making dinner."

Danny narrowed his eyes at Steve. "She's mean. I didn't ever know that about her before."

Steve bit his lower lip in an effort to keep a neutral face. "I, uh, I didn't know you felt this way."

"Took my medications and is now dosing me at will. Who the hell knows how much she's giving me? Went through my underwear drawer. Hid your beer from me, and I only wanted two of them. Took my cell phone away because I tried to order a pizza. I haven't had pizza in a solid week. Talked to my doctor on the phone and referred to me as "the idiot" twice. She's out of control, Steve."

Steve stared at him for a long moment. A lump had formed in his throat, and he rubbed at the bridge of his nose in order to catch the stray tear in his eye. He had Danny back. The man was damaged and hurting deeply. Of this there was no doubt, but he was back. He was going to drive him crazy and annoy him and make him laugh, and he was going to care about every last thing happening in Steve's life. Steve had no idea why, but he needed Danny.

"Are you laughing at me?"

Steve looked up, blinking. "Wouldn't dream of it, Danny. What do you want me to do about Kono?"

"Tell her to stop hiding the beer and to give me my cell phone back."

Steve nodded solemnly, furrowing his brow for affect. "You know, it might take a couple of days to get those things back what with you being on seizure and pain medications and such."

"You're siding with her?"

"Wouldn't do that, Danny."

Danny glared. "You are definitely siding with her!"

Steve's eyes widened and he stood up. "I think I hear my cell phone. You stay here. Rest. It's a…could be important…probably the governor. You don't move now, you hear?"

…


	3. Chapter 3

17

A/N: Sorry I have been absent. It's finals week starting tomorrow, and I'm going to have a ton of papers to correct. Hopefully, I'll have chapter 4 up later in the week. I haven't heard from anyone in a while. Please let me know if you are still reading. Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 3

Steve heard a door in the hallway open and could sense Danny on his feet again. It was 3 a.m. and Danny was up and pacing. It had been this way for two nights. It had started with Steve's phone call to Rachel. It had been tense. Grace was continuing to struggle and had started to wet the bed. The therapist engaged had done an evaluation and had diagnosed Grace with post traumatic stress disorder. Steve had winced when he heard that. PTSD was something he was quite familiar with after his years in the Navy. This was a disease for combat. The idea that this little girl was suffering PTSD was outrageous. He'd finished with Rachel and realized that he had to tell Danny about his daughter.

As imagined, it had gone poorly. As a cop, Danny was also familiar with PTSD, and his feelings of guilt and anger overflowed at the thought that Gracie had been so traumatized. Danny shut down. Since that conversation, Danny couldn't seem to communicate anything other than anger. At night, he couldn't sleep but in fits and starts; haunting the house at night with his restless pacing.

Steve got up slowly. It would go badly just as it had the other three times he'd woken up with Danny. Danny didn't want to be nurtured in any way and effectively drove Steve back to bed every time. Dressed in only his boxers, Steve tread lightly through the living room and into the kitchen. Danny was there sitting at the kitchen table, his head in his hands. He looked up at Steve who raised his hands. "I know. I know. You don't want to talk. You want me to leave you alone. I get it. I just want to make sure you're okay before I go back to bed."

"I'm not okay," Danny murmured.

Steve pulled out a chair across from him. "Can I do anything for you?"

Danny glared at him with weary, bloodshot eyes. "What do you think?"

Steve sighed and resting his face in his outstretched palm. "Okay."

"Go back to bed, Steve. I've got nothing but a nasty mouth on me right now. I'm itching to say something regrettable."

Steve nodded into his palm.

Danny stood up. "I'm going to take a little walk on the beach."

Steve raised his sleepy head. "Are you sure? Pace in here. It doesn't bother me. Really. I'm too tired to care."

Danny shook his head. "I'll walk for a little. Fresh air will help."

"I'll go along," Steve muttered into his hand.

"No, I need to be alone." Danny stepped onto the deck, the night air blowing in past him.

"Be back in half an hour or I'm coming after you," Steve muttered into his palm. He considered following Danny but his exhaustion was too much. He nodded off and his face hit the table, convincing him it was just as well to wait for Danny's return in his own bed.

….

"Steve," said the soft voice of a woman. He smiled in his sleep and absently patted the bed as invitation. Kono's eyes widened. "Ah, Boss, it's Kono."

Steve cracked an eye open and sat up suddenly, pulling the sheet around his midsection. He looked at her out of one eye, "Whattimeisit?"

"It's 8:30, Boss." She figured that having surprised him like this, it was important to keep calling him boss in order to keep misunderstandings to a minimum.

"Impossible!" Steve scratched at his hair. "I'm always up 6:30 at the latest."

"I'm sure you're exhausted, what with Danny prowling the house all night long. I wouldn't have bothered you at all, but I was wondering if you knew where he was."

Steve blinked wildly. "He was awake at 3 a.m. Went out for a walk. Only gone half an hour. That's what I told him."

"The door to the deck is unlocked. I don't think he ever came back."

Steve scrambled off the bed, remembered he was only in his boxers and cursed. "Give me a moment here, Kono."

She was already shutting the door behind her.

"Did you look for him down at the beach?" He yelled through the door as he dug for a pair of cargo pants.

"Looked for about 15 minutes. Didn't see him in either direction." She shouted back.

"Call Chin!"

"Already did!"

Steve burst through his door. "Goddamn Danny. I should've followed him."

"You didn't know," Kono said as she followed him into the kitchen. "Danny's pretty unpredictable right now."

"Exactly! I should have known better," Steve pulled a shirt from a chair and dragged it over his head. He turned to Kono. "Okay, you stay here in case he comes back. I'll run the beach for a few miles and see if I can spot him. Tell Chin to put an APB out for a short blonde haole wearing a t-shirt and pajama bottoms. Where's my cell?"

Kono pulled it off the counter and flipped it to him. He stopped for a moment and looked at her, his hair disheveled and eyes still blurry with sleep. "What is he doing, Kono? I don't get it."

She shrugged. "He's sick and he's hurting. Doctor told me to watch out for poor judgment and impulsivity. It might be part of the head injury."

Steve shook his head and was halfway out the deck door when the front doorbell rang. Kono and Steve looked at each other for a moment. Then he bolted past her for the door. He opened the door to two of Oahu's finest. Behind them was a bedraggled Danny still in pajama bottoms and handcuffed. "Do you want to claim him?" asked one of the Hawaiian officers.

"I'm not a lost frickin' puppy," Danny muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Steve saw purple on his face, and stepped through the officers and grabbed Danny by the jaw. When he turned Danny's face to him, he saw an ugly black eye was forming over his left eye. Steve turned to the officers. "What the hell is this?"

Danny wrenched his face out of Steve's hand. "Forget it. I got a little feisty. It's nobody's fault."

One of the officers nodded. "We got a call from a home about two miles down the beach saying that there was a homeless man sleeping on their property. We showed up, found him sleeping, gave him a tap, and woke the Tasmanian Devil."

Danny winced. "You startled me. I stopped as soon as I realized what was going on."

Hands on his hips, Steve scowled. "What the hell, Danny?"

Danny refused to look at him directly. "I walked too far last night. Got tired. Couldn't make it all the way back. Found a deck chair and went to sleep."

Steve glared at the cops. "You know he's a decorated detective. Remember that cop that got beat on the beach almost two weeks ago? This is him. Has a skull fracture, and then you guys tune him up."

"They didn't know, Steve. I'm in my jammies for Christ's sakes. I'm sure they thought I was on a bender or something."

Steve turned back to Kono. "Doctor said any blows to the head were bad with that fracture still healing, right?"

She nodded grimly. "I'll call him right away."

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Come on, people, it was a simple mistake."

Steve ignored him. "All right, fellas, I'll take over."

Relieved, they uncuffed Danny and left. He stood there in the doorway, t-shirt and bottoms, his impressive pompadour now hanging in his eyes. He shrugged and looked at him out of his good eye. "I'm a trainwreck."

"You think?" Steve pulled him in the house.

"Let me go home. Be by myself. This is…I'm not fit company."

Steve ignored him and turned his attention to Kono on the cell with the doctor. "What's he saying?"

She put her hand over the phone. "He's says Danny's going to need a CAT scan to make sure his brain isn't swelling again."

Steve snapped his fingers at Danny and pointed to the door. "Turn around and get your ass in the car."

…..

Danny slouched in his chair in the doctor's office while Steve's nervous energy kept him on his feet. The doctor came in with the scans and sat down at the desk.

Danny looked over at Steve. "This is where you leave so the doctor can talk to me in private."

Steve didn't move.

"I would like a little privacy here."

Steve leaned against a bookshelf. "Not leaving."

The doctor watched them glare at one another for a moment and then he sighed. "So, I'm going to talk about these scans. I know you want privacy, Mr. Williams, but your self-care skills leave something to be desired. It's best that someone who cares about you is part of this conversation.

Danny threw his arms up. "Whatever! What do the scans say?"

"There's still swelling on the brain."

Steve shook his head and looked away.

"Is there more than there was when you did the scan a week and a half ago?"

"No, in fact, it is about the same."

Danny nodded at Steve. "See, I'm not doing any worse than I was. No extra head trauma."

"Hold on, Mr. Williams. You shouldn't have any swelling at all at this point. This is not encouraging at all. It makes me wonder how well you're resting, eating, and avoiding physical exertion. That black eye you have is especially troubling."

Steve snorted. "Yeah, Danny, why don't you go ahead and update him on how you're resting and avoiding exertion and such."

Danny rubbed his forehead. "Okay, okay, I've been struggling to get good sleep. I have a lot of…my daughter is struggling with the aftermath. I'm worried about her. I…miss her."

"Commander McGarrett told me that she has a PTSD diagnosis. Do you understand that condition?"

"Yes…enough to know that it is wrong for a 7-year old to suffer like that." Danny twisted uncomfortably in his chair.

The doctor took his glasses off. "PTSD would explain some of your behavior as well, Mr. Williams."

Danny closed his eyes tightly. "Are you a psychiatrist now? Can we just stay focused on the skull fracture?"

Steve sat down. "I think Danny does have PTSD. He can't sleep. He's impulsive, reckless. I've been wondering about it, myself."

"Shut up! Shut up! This is not helping!" Danny was out of his chair.

Startled, the doctor tensed in his chair. Steve crossed his arms. "Okay, that's enough dinner theatre, Danny. Sit down so we can have an actual conversation here."

Danny glared at him.

"Do you need helping sitting down? I'm happy to get involved here." Steve cocked his head at Danny.

Sullenly, Danny dropped back into the chair. He folded his hands together and leaned toward the doctor. "I apologize. I am just eager to go home and be by myself. I will just sleep. I promise you."

The doctor shook his head. "I could re-admit you. You would get first class care."

"Sorry, Doc, that's not going to work. Your staff deserves better. I'll take Danny back to my house. We'll do a better job of watching him."

Danny shook his head. "Uh-uh, I'm not going back to the McGarrett compound. Those people are driving me nuts."

The doctor blinked. "I'm not sure what the solution is then."

Steve stood up. "It's not a problem. My team is trained to handle murderers and terrorists. Danny's not going to be a problem."

Danny tensed. "Okay, this is a kidnapping in progress. I have rights. Doc, call 911."

Steve stood over him. "So I'm carrying you out of here. That's the plan?"

The doctor stood up. "Please, remember that Mr. Williams needs gentle handling. There is to be absolutely no more physical trauma."

Steve stared down at him. "So, what's the plan, Danny? You want to resist? I'll get the doc to dose you with something and then I'll carry you out of here just like a little girl. What do you say?"

Danny frowned at the doctor. "You're going to let him do this? Call the police for Chris' sake."

The doctor shook his head. "Commander McGarrett seems like your best option."

"Oh, please, you're taken in by Captain America here? Come on, he's not nearly as impressive as he looks."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Can you get a sedative, Doctor?"

Danny got up. "All right already! I'm going, you Neanderthal animal!"

Steve suppressed a smile. Before he followed Danny out the door, he turned to the doctor. "I'll take good care of him."

….

Danny stared out the window of the Camaro, unresponsive to anything Steve said. Even attempts to locate disco music on the radio were ignored. Steve took several unexpected turns, and Danny wasn't sure if it was to bait him or if he truly was taking him somewhere other than the McGarrett home. Once they were in the beach parking lot, Danny understood where they were and he let out a deep breath.

Steve sat next to him in silence for a few moments. "Hey, I thought we'd stop and get a shaved ice from Kamekona. He's been asking about you. I figured you hadn't seen him since it happened…"

Danny bit his lip and nodded.

"If you're not ready, we'll come another day."

"I want to see him."

Steve followed Danny to the beach. Danny stopped a couple of times, lost in thought, and Steve worried that he was pushing too much too far, but Danny kept going.

It was another beautiful Hawaiian day, and the shaved ice stand seemed to be doing good business. Danny thrust his hands in his pockets, prepared to wait for his turn, but Kamekona spotted him and grew a monster smile. He came bounding from behind the stand and enveloped a startled Danny in a big hug. "Hey, haole brudda'!"

Steve winced a bit. "Don't crush him, K.K. We're under pretty strict orders from the doctor to treat him with kid gloves."

Danny was surprisingly quiet. Kamekona released him and Danny stood there in the sun squinting up at him. Then Danny reached up and rubbed roughly at his eyes.

Kamekona patted him on the back softly, none of them commenting on Danny's wet eyes. "How's the princess?"

Danny murmured. "She's recovering."

"You bring her here this Saturday?"

Danny looked down. Steve made a cutting motion to Kamekona with his hand. "She's out of town at the moment."

Kamekona looked at Steve out of the corner of his eye but didn't press.

Finally Danny looked up. "Whatever's mine is yours, big man. Seriously. I mean it. You saved her life. I don't have words for what means to me."

Kamekona nodded. "We take care of each other on this island, brudda'. It ain't nothing."

"It was everything," Danny responded softly.

The big man looked to Steve for guidance. Steve put an arm across Danny's shoulders. "Just as soon as you're back in fighting shape, you and I are going to take Kamekona out for the biggest steak on the island."

Kamekona grinned madly. "Kobe beef and drinks, lots of drinks. And I want one of those chocolate volcanoes for dessert."

Danny smiled back. "Even if it takes a month's salary, Kamekona. Whatever you want."

"How 'bout a shaved ice, brudda'?"

Danny's head ached and shaved ice didn't appeal. "Next time, baby huey."

Steve nodded at Kamekona and steered Danny away. "Let's take a little walk."

They walked in silence for a while and Steve wondered if it was a mistake to bring him here so soon. Danny looked at him finally. "I was almost starting to find a home here."

Steve felt something in his gut. "You have a home here, Danny."

Danny stopped and looked out at the ocean. "I'm thinking Rachel is probably right. I shouldn't stay here. My family is back in New Jersey, and if Grace is here, there is no way I can stay away from her."

"You want to leave 5-0?"

Danny looked at him. "It bothers you."

Steve raised his hands, incredulous. "Hell yes, it bothers me. This surprises you?"

Danny shrugged. "It bothers me too. The last six months with 5-0 has been…unforgettable. You and I fight more than I ever have with anyone, Rachel included…but we work together like…we're in sync in ways I've never experienced before. I don't want to leave 5-0, Chin, Kono…or even your android ass."

"Then don't leave." Steve's mouth twitched as he looked out on the water.

"I can't see Grace. She'll be here and I won't be able to see her. It will be too much."

"She's not here now."

Danny sighed. "I'll stay until I'm better and I'll give you a chance to find a replacement, but let's not fool ourselves. My life here is over."

"We're a team." Steve's voice had become tight.

Danny fell silent. The two of them stared out at the water, kids jumping in and out of the surf, and their parents collapsed on the sand. Danny turned to leave, but Steve didn't move. It was another half hour before he met Danny at the car.

…..

Danny took his medication without complaint that night. He still eyed Kono suspiciously, but she didn't care. She just fed him fish and vegetables, made him drink water, kept him away from beer, and generally discouraged behaviors he found appealing. The other key to his new compliance was the fact that both Chin and Kono had moved in for the short term. Apparently, they were there to relieve Steve of some of the nightly pressure of keeping track of him.

Steve waited until Danny fell asleep before he gathered Chin and Kono around the kitchen table. "Danny wants to go to back to New Jersey."

Chin groaned and dropped his head. "I should have known this was coming."

Kono sighed. "I don't want Danny to leave."

Steve rubbed his stubble. "I don't know that we can stop it."

"We'll all work on him. We can get him to stay."

"I don't know, Kono. I've been thinking about this all evening. I don't want to lose him, but he's miserable. And I don't want him to stay here if family in New Jersey would make him happier."

Chin eyed him carefully. "What are you thinking, boss?"

"He needs Grace back. I understand that it's risky but he needs her and I believe she needs him. Neither of them can heal without the other. Right now, that's what's important. Where he moves to takes a backseat."

"Have you talked to Rachel?"

"Yeah, she stopped taking my calls a few days ago. Said I shouldn't need to call more than twice a month for updates. She's not going to listen to me over the phone."

"She's in England, Steve."

Steve scratched the hair behind his ear. "I'm booked on a Navy supply plane to L.A. at midnight."

"You're kidding?" Kono's eyes widened.

"I have some connections and through a combination of military and commercial, I should get there in about 30 hours."

No one said anything for a moment. Steve could sense their reticence. "I have to do this for Danny. I think I have a perspective on this that might help Rachel understand why they should be together."

Chin shook his head. "You are starting that legal procedures class tomorrow."

Steve shrugged. "It'll have to wait."

"You're serious about this?"

"Watching Danny go through this is painful. It has been for all of us. I can't stand by any longer."

Kono nodded. "Okay, I get it. Are you going to tell him?"

He shook his head. "No way. Danny will go nuts. Besides, I don't know even if this will work. He can't take another disappointment."

"He's not going to be happy that you've disappeared without an explanation."

"The two of you are going to have to cover for me. Tell him I am on a trip for the Governor."

Chin looked at Kono. "What do you think, Cuz? Are we up to it?"

She smiled. "I like watching after him. He's crabby but he's cute."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Don't worry, Boss. He has eyes only for you."

Steve blushed. "That's enough of that."

"Military transport sounds a little bumpy."

"I'll survive," Steve drawled. He got up and went off to pack. Instead of dreading this, he felt a twinge of excitement in his gut. He was a man of action and he needed a mission. He stopped at Danny's door and considered looking in on him. He decided against it but stood there a little longer. Steve had come to the realization that he wasn't going to be okay until Danny was. It was a weird symbiosis that he was still struggling to understand.

…..

TBC


	4. Interlude

A/N: This is a little interlude between chapters 3 and 4. Please let me know if you enjoy. Last chapter, one of you asked if it is slash. It is pre-slash. I actually didn't realize that until I got into it. I really don't write sex, and I don't see either of them initiating anything, but I want to show the love these two guys have for one another in an emotional rather than sexual way. Sheila

The Promise

Interlude

Steve shifted against the column holding up the airport at O'Hare. He was transfixed by the scene outside. Chicago was experiencing a heavy snowfall, and he marveled at the miracle of the white stuff coming out of the sky. If he had more than an hour, he would have walked outside and stood in the middle of it, and let soft flakes fall onto his face. This was only the 3rd time he'd experienced snow. Most Seal missions had kept him near the equator.

He knew it was cold, and had listened to enough Hawaiian transplants to know that it could be miserable, but to him it seemed beautiful, ethereal even. He'd asked Danny about the snow once, but Danny had merely made a face at him, claiming that snow was gray, cold, nasty, and a pain in the posterior. He also mentioned that goddamn city trucks always plowed him in. Steve couldn't quite grasp the mechanics of such an idea and so he let it go, and he couldn't match those images with the virgin white snow falling gently against the glass.

He had to shift again, finding another spot against the column to rest his back. He had no doubt that at least 4 vertebrae were misaligned at this moment. The Navy cargo plane from Oahu had been an unholy nightmare. The plane lacked the hydraulics of a passenger jet, and then they'd hit that Pacific air mass. Steve had spent five hours being thrown about like a piñata despite being belted in.

He looked down at the phone in his hand. 13 messages. He had only 10 minutes to listen to them before the next flight, but he dreaded it. There was nothing good that could come out of 13 messages in 12 hours. Finally, he shook his head and hit the first one.

"_Where the hell are you? You spend all this time talking about team and then I wake up and you're gone! 5-0 is shut down and so I don't want to hear one more goddamn fairytale out of Chin about how you're on a mission for the governor-"_

Steve hit delete. Next one.

"_You rotting corpse! Call me back now!-"_

Delete.

"_You slimy, rancid mug of pond scum! I'm sitting here worried sick out of my mind-"_

Delete.

"_HPD Chief of Detectives here. We got a complaint from your neighbors about a possible kidnapping or hostage situation out at your home. Could you call us and fill us in on the details?"_

Steve groaned and hit delete.

"_There is no mission for the governor, you giant moron! I called her. What the hell-"_

Delete.

"_Governor Jameson here, McGarrett. Is there a reason why your second in command, Danny Williams, would think that I sent you out on a top secret mission? He got pretty close to accusing me of lying."_

Steve started banging the back of his head against the column. He stopped when he noticed he was drawing a crowd. Delete.

"_Boss, don't worry about a thing. Chin and I have everything under control. SWAT's here and they've questioned Danny. There won't be any arrests. He has assured them that he is not, indeed, a hostage-"_

He felt nausea rise in his gut and he quickly deleted.

"_Governor Jameson again. You were supposed to be attending a legal procedures class this week. You'd better have a damn good explanation for that. And I would like to know why the hell the offices of the HPD, FBI, and SWAT have lost their mornings to disturbances at your house."_

Delete. Steve struggled to settle his breathing.

"_Technically, I am not being held against my will, but only technically. Where are you? You'd better call back within_ _the next_ _five minutes or I'm going to start taking some hostages of my own-"_

Delete.

"_Boss, I got permission to dose him with a shot of Demerol. Chin's up on the roof right now trying to corner him-"_

Steve squeezed his eyes shut. Delete.

"_Chief of Detectives Honolulu calling to say that we are done responding to calls to your residence for the day. Your 5-0 freaks are up to it again. Someone driving by just saw two men wrestling on the roof of your house. Deal with it! You got a real emergency out there? Too bad! You're on your own right now."_

A headache started pounding at his temples.

"_Boss, this is Chin. He's under sedation…sort of. I hope there weren't too many messages. It was sort of a crazy_ _day. I'm sure you heard from a few of our…fellow agencies. Just ignore all that. You don't need to worry about that right now. I'm sure tomorrow will be better_. _I hope your flights are going smoothly."_

Delete. That was the first message that didn't send his heart into spasms. There was still one more. He had a strong urge to just delete it so that he would have less material for the nightmares he was bound to have on the flight to London. Still, his sense of responsibility won over and he clicked it.

"_Hey, Steve, I'm sorry. I'm an animal, a very sleepy, sleepy animal. I apologized to Kono and Chin. Kono even let me use my phone to apologize to you. She's sooooo ….wonderful and…pretty…You probably needed some time away from the craziness…my craziness. I understand that. I'm too much work. Want to be…alone…and I want to know…where you are…I'm like a frickin' something or other…but I understand now…that I…cannot…be…alone…and that…you need…your space…appreciate all of you…g'night, Steve…"_

Steve sighed deeply. Danny was right. He was too much work, but he was worth every ounce of effort they were putting in. He was the most important person in his life right now, and it was impossible to not carry him deeply in his heart. Sometimes, it confused him, but he accepted the truth of it nonetheless. His flight number sounded and he jerked himself upright. He took one last look at the falling snow, and then started off for the gate.

Then he stopped, cursed, and hit redial on the phone. He took a deep breath. "_Danny, just listen to this and don't try to call me again. You gotta' trust me. I'm not avoiding you. Honestly. It's just…that I got a thing to do, something I can do. But I'll be back. No more trouble. Okay, partner? Talk to you in a few days."_

Immediately, he started to feel the relief flood through him. He powered the phone down, and then trotted off before the gate closed.

….

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: It's another long chapter, but I think it's interesting and it tells exactly the story I want to tell. There's some unexpected directions in here. I hope you like it and I hope you take the time to let me know you like it.

The Promise

Chapter 4

Danny shuffled into the kitchen in shorts and t-shirt, his hair wild. Kono watched him warily as he found a coffee cup, poured, and then shuffled back to the table. He sat down across from her and took a long sip. He narrowed his eyes at her. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"20 hours."

"What in God's name did you give me? I can barely remember my own name."

One side of her mouth curled up. "It was a cocktail of sorts."

"I deserved this?"

"You don't remember SWAT or wrestling on the roof with Chin?"

Danny squeezed his eyes shut. "But those were nightmares, right?"

"Yeah, they were, but they were the kind of nightmares that everyone gets to experience at the same time."

He frowned. "I was upset because I didn't know where Steve went. Are we still playing that game today? You know where he is, but won't tell me?"

She sighed. "Yup. You going to play hardball again today?"

He groaned. "My ribs hurt and my head is pounding to beat the band."

"I've got some painkillers I can give you…"

"As long I behave, right?"

"Danny, Steve asked us to not tell you. He's not in danger. He just wants you to rest and not worry. You need to trust us. It's not a betrayal."

Danny took another long drag of coffee. "Convince me that he didn't run off to Mexico to confront the Ochoa cartel."

"Do you honestly think we would allow that? You think Chin and I would stand by?"

"No, but I've convinced myself that I understand him better than anyone, and that he's my responsibility somehow."

"You're not wrong, really. I mean, let's face it, he responds to you. He listens. But he's not doing anything dangerous right now. He had an idea and he wanted to check it out. We need to leave it at that, okay?"

Danny nodded. "Okay. I'll contain myself for the moment. I'm thinking you gotta' be pretty mad at me after all that trouble."

She wrinkled her nose. "Have you ever tried staying mad at you?"

He grinned. "It's really hard, actually. I'm pretty...adorable."

She reached over and punched him lightly. Then she got up, "Let me get you some breakfast."

A few minutes later, she had eggs, toast, and yogurt in front of him. He made a face at it but she ignored him and sat down again with her laptop. They were silent for a few minutes, and then Kono quietly closed the lid on her computer. "Danny, we need you to get healthy."

He jerked his head up. "What? I'm eating. I even tried the yogurt."

"I can't tell you where Steve is, but I want to be honest with you about everything else. I don't want to make things worse for you, but I want to tell you what's going on."

"Okay, no more going off the rails. I promise. I want to know what's going on."

Kono bit her lip. "I have a little pen pal you should know about. It's Grace. She's been emailing me every day for the last week."

He nodded but said nothing.

"Do you want me to read them to you?"

He looked down at his plate and pushed it away. Then he shook his head.

"Do you want to know how she's doing?"

He swallowed. "I do."

Kono took a deep breath. "She's sad. She's very sad. She wants you to come and get her. She asks me to tell you to come get her now."

"And what do you tell her?"

"I tell her that you are okay, and she needs to stay with her mom right now."

He rubbed at the rough beard on his face. "That's the right thing to say."

"You know she'd write to you too, but you won't use email."

"If I start communicating with her, Kono, I won't stop. I'll want more. It'll end up bad for everyone."

"So, it's too early?"

"Just tell her Danno loves her more."

"Are you sure you don't want to write to her?" Danny dropped his head, and she could feel his answer. She opened up her laptop again and went to work.

Danny felt the depression sinking deeply within him again. His sadness had settled so deep within him, and he knew that even getting up from the table would be a challenge. This grief was overwhelming at times. His only comfort was that his sacrifice kept her safe.

She sighed. "I was wrong to tell you about this."

Before Danny could respond, Chin came through the deck door. He stopped for a moment, "Looks like you're having a hard conversation."

Danny lifted his head. "Nothing new. Glad to see you're still talking to me."

Chin slid into a chair. "Ain't nothing between bruddas, Danny. I got your back. Always."

Danny gave him a quick nod, but couldn't produce a grin. The loss of Grace was swelling again in his gut. There was no way he was going to be trouble for anyone today…unless, of course, they objected to him spending another long day on the lanai staring out at the Pacific with weepy eyes.

Chin took note of Danny's mood. "I..know this isn't opportune, but we got work to do today. We got a situation."

Kono closed her laptop and waited. Danny didn't acknowledge him.

"One of Ochoa's people wants to talk. He says he wants a deal. Says Ochoa wasn't the one that hired them for the hit, but he won't talk until you're there, Danny."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Is it the one that touched Grace?"

Chin shook his head. "No, it's one of the ones that attacked you."

"It's a game and I'm not in the mood."

"Probably, but I have to admit that I am more than a bit curious. Aren't you?"

Danny closed his eyes for a long moment. Then he turned to Chin. "Okay, let's go see this asshole."

…..

Danny cringed at the sympathetic looks he got at HPD. His anger was overcoming his sadness again, and he wondered how long it would take before he clocked someone.

"I hear things are rowdy over at the McGarrett home!" Cops tittered and guffawed.

Danny turned his head, but Chin was there first, staring down the heckler. Chin might be a pariah at HPD, but he was still as intimidating as all hell, and the cop raised a hand in surrender and sat down. Chin looked at Danny and gestured toward the interview room. It was clear to Danny who the alpha male was today. Kono followed up the rear, and muttered a Hawaiian curse at the cops watching the scene unfold.

His attacker, dressed in orange, was manacled to the table. Danny took a minute to look him over. The crumb's name was Eddie Alvarez and he stared back at Danny with dark, soulless eyes. Danny looked ready to pounce, but Kono held his arm tightly and steered him to a chair. The man's lawyer looked relieved when all parties were seated. The ADA shrugged. "So, what do you got?"

"My client wants a deal."

"Don't we all? We're all pretty sure that this is a waste of our time, but tell your client to give us a little song and dance, and we'll see."

Kono's hold on Danny's arm never relaxed.

The man's lawyer looked at Eddie. "Tell 'em what you told me."

Eddie stared straight through Danny. "First, I'd like to say that it wasn't anything personal. A job's a job, you know."

Danny threw his free arm in the air. "For this, I got out of bed? You little cocksucker! You little motherfucker!" He tried to rise, but Kono held fast.

Chin slammed a palm on the table. "You better get to the point, Eddie, or we walk."

Eddie glared. "The cartel's going to kill me. This hit was not authorized by them. You have to get me out of Hawaii and into a system away from the cartel. It's the only way I'm going to make it."

Danny breathed hard like he'd just finished six miles of hard road. "You dying works for me. If they kill you, I'm gonna' send the Ochoas a thank you card, maybe a little keepsake. Seriously, Eddie, this is good news."

Eddie strained at the chains. "It was unauthorized. The Ochoas didn't authorize this. They don't like when their people freelance. Do you think we came after you and your daughter because we had nothing better to do?"

Danny looked up at Chin. "I don't care about this. Let's send him back into the cage and take bets on how long it takes for someone to gut him like a fish."

"Listen!" The veins in Eddie's neck were straining. "We were freelancing. It was an independent contract, and we got paid $50,000 for your head and another $20,000 if we killed the little girl!"

Danny wrenched out of Kono's grip and scrambled up over the table. Then Chin was there, and Danny only got in one punch to Eddie's face. Everyone was shouting and Chin and Kono were dragging Danny back into his chair. Chin grabbed Danny's face. "Calm down, Danny! I need you to calm down!"

Danny's breathing was shallow and uneven. "It doesn't matter, Chin. Getting him dead is one of the only pleasures left to me. I don't care what he has to say."

Eddie's lawyer was on her feet. "This is insanity. We'll have you charged, Detective Williams."

Danny shrugged.

Eddie's voice shook. "You're going to want to know who put the hit out on you. Come on, Man. The job never got finished. We only got the front end of the cash. Don't you want to know who's buying your life?"

Kono pinned Danny in his chair. Chin walked over to Eddie. "I want to know. Who bought that hit?"

"I don't know his name."

Danny started laughing. "This is how you help yourself, Eddie? I mean, seriously."

"He didn't give me a name, but I can identify him."

Chin shook his head. "That's not good enough, Eddie."

"He was with a friend. They were kids, early twenties maybe. Just in from the mainland. They had lots of cash. They were staying at the Kahala resort. I met them there one night. We talked in the bar. It was November 17th. Check the frickin' cameras. We were there for almost an hour. Kid didn't tell me much. He gave me two pictures: one of you and one of the little girl. Two pictures. At one point, he said that you and 5-0 put his father in jail down here, and he wanted to show his appreciation by hitting the Jersey cop and his kid first. Said 5-0 needed to know what it felt like for fathers and their kids to be separated forever."

The room went quiet. Danny cocked his head at Eddie, studying him. Chin chewed on his lip. "Okay, Eddie, if we can verify this, you're going to be testifying."

Eddie shook his head. "I need witness protection for that."

Danny jerked in Kono's arms.

Chin leaned over Eddie. "We'll keep you alive, but only if you follow this all the way through. And you can get witness protection, but it'll be in prison 'cause you're serving the whole stretch. That's the deal. You take it or we walk. Now that we got this, there's a good chance we wouldn't need you anyway."

Eddie sneered at Chin, but the cool Hawaiian didn't bat an eyelash. "Ball's in your court, Eddie."

Eddie gave him cold, deadly eyes, but Chin didn't back up an inch. Finally, the man spat on the table. "You put me in protective custody now!"

Chin slapped his cheek lightly. "Calm down there, Eddie. These lawyers got to draw up agreements. We need to check your information. You'll get protection in due time. In the meantime, keep your back to the wall and stay near the guards."

Chin nodded at the cops, and they pulled Eddie to his feet, and dragged him out of the room. The ADA looked at him. "So 5-0 going to verify this? 'Cause I'm not wasting my time until you do."

Chin nodded. He waited until the lawyers left and then sat down across from Danny. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Frankie Salvo has a son. Frankie Jr. I figure he's gotta' be 24, 25 now. We got Frankie Sr. almost six months ago. It must really dig at Frankie J. that his old man is in the klink so far away. But if it's him, then it's a rogue operation. The Salvo family would never have okayed this. Boy is the heir apparent. Setting up hits is beneath him. Besides, Salvos are old school. Old Joe Salvo still attends mass every week. They would never allow a hit on a child. They tell themselves that it's all business. That's why people in New Jersey tolerate them. You get whacked, and people can tell themselves that you probably half deserved it. Killing kids is off limits. Screws the entire mafia mythology."

Chin looked at Kono. "Cousin Raymond still working at the Kahala?"

She nodded.

"Well we better head over there and look at some tapes. See if Raymond can get us a spare room. It's time for pain pills and Danny's nap."

Danny rolled his eyes. "You gotta' be kidding me."

"Brudda', when the adrenaline that has flooded into your system drains, you're going to be begging for pills. I promise you that."

Danny glared at him but didn't protest when Kono started digging through that pharmacy she called a purse.

…

Great Britain was a series of islands just like Hawaii, but that was about the only similarity between the two places. He got out of the cab in Manchester onto wet cobblestones covered by a grey sky. Hawaii had a lot of rain too, but then the sun always beat it away quickly. Here, the grey lingered throughout the day, a wet wind cutting through his clothing straight to his bones.

All of the homes were brick with small, fussy gardens and iron wrought fences. He took a deep breath before climbing the narrow stoop and knocking on the door.

The woman who answered had perfectly coiffed hair and an aristocratic nose. Her wrinkled green eyes resembled nothing of Rachel. He nodded and cleared his throat. "I'm here to see Rachel and Grace."

She raised an eyebrow and looked past him. "I should have known. Where is that little blonde pit bull my daughter calls an ex-husband?"

"Ah, he's not here. He's in Hawaii."

The woman nodded, "Well, I suppose that's best! And unless my instincts are off, I would guess you are the indomitable Steve McGarrett."

He frowned. "You knew I was coming?"

"Guessed, really. Come in, please."

"Are Grace and Rachel here?"

She ushered him into a small living room and guided him to a stiff, velvet settee. He perched on it uncomfortably. "They're still at the therapist's. Sit down, Commander. I'll get you some tea."

"Lieutenant Commander, Ma'am." He said as she disappeared around the corner.

A few minutes later, she appeared with a complete tea service including a plate of biscuits and clotted cream. "Rachel's grandfather and great-grandfather were Navy officers. In fact, my grandfather commanded one of the first submarines to break harbor at Dartsmouth."

"Yes, ma'am," He said as he took the tea cup and saucer offered and waited patiently while she slowly poured boiling hot Earl Grey into the cup.

"Are you here to tell Rachel that Grace needs her father?"

Steve felt tongue-tied. Rachel's mother was so glib, so certain about how to do this, while his mind had temporarily gone blank. "Yes, ma'am, I guess I am here to talk to Rachel about bringing Grace back to Hawaii."

She sat across from him and crossed her legs primly. "Good luck! I don't think she'll budge."

Steve put his tea down. "Look. I know you are not a fan of Danny's. I'm sure you didn't expect him as a husband for Rachel. I mean Rachel's quite elegant and beautiful."

"Yes, she is. I was quite shocked when she greeted me at the airport with a blue collar American in tow. Danny has no grace, no sophistication."

"True, but he's a good man and he's a good father."

She took another sip. "He is both of those things. How is Danny right now?"

The question took Steve by surprise. "Ah…recovering slowly but his heart is broken without Grace in his life. I worry he won't recover from it."

She nodded. "As do I. Poor Danny."

He leaned forward. "I thought you didn't like him."

"Well, as a husband, he was a disaster. As a son-in-law, he was a disappointment, but as a father, he's brilliant. Rachel's own father gave her almost none of the care and attention he gives to our Grace. Rachel's dad would always say that his love was implied, but his actions seemed to echo his lack of affection for her. On the other hand, Danny is fascinated with Grace. He hangs on her every word, her every movement. And she is the same with him. Her well-being is always a priority to him."

"Rachel's talking about keeping Grace away from him for years."

"Yes, my poor Rachel is a hostage to her own fears. She can't quite listen to reason."

Steve sat up straight. "You understand."

"As I said earlier, I come from Navy men, and my own husband was a Military Intelligence man during the Cold War. And that was quite dangerous, I'll tell you. We didn't see our men often, but their jobs didn't keep us from being a family."

Steve nodded. "My dad was a cop. Sent me to the mainland for a few years for exactly the same kinds of reasons that Rachel took Grace. It wasn't right. I missed so much. I was safe physically, but I was very sad. Devastated, really."

She put her tea down. "Our Grace wets the bed. Every night, there are nightmares, and she is always screaming out for her Danno. I love that they are here with me, but the child needs her father."

They both heard the front door squeak open. Rachel's mom was on her feet. She wagged a finger at him. "Remember that Rachel is not the monster here. She's just so frightened, and she can't see the truth because of all these fears. You have to understand this."

Steve nodded.

"Mum," came a voice from the hall. "Do you have company? Is it Aunt Ruth?" Rachel appeared in the doorway, all smiles until she saw Steve. Immediately, she backed up and reached for Grace, but it was too late. The little girl pulled away from her mother and ran into Steve's arms. "Danno! Where's my Danno?"

She crawled into his lap and looked up at him. "Where's my daddy?" He was dumbstruck for a moment, noting how pale and thin she looked. Dark circles haunted her eyes. She seemed smaller than the little girl he knew in Hawaii. He looked up at Rachel who was covering her mouth with tears filling her eyes.

Steve took a deep breath. "Grace, your daddy asked me to come and see you. He's still back in Hawaii, but he's doing well and he misses you very much."

The little girl's eyes teared. "Take me home to my Danno! Please take me home!" She dissolved into sobs, pressing her face into his chest.

Rachel came over to extricate her, but Grace screamed and clung tightly to his shirt. "Stop Mommy! Uncle Steve is going to take me home to my Danno!"

Rachel stepped back, her reddened eyes flashing at Steve. "Are you happy? Is this what you wanted? It just makes her worse. Can't you see she's suffering?"

Before he could respond, she dropped her bags and ran up the stairs. Rachel's mother came over, tears in her eyes, and rubbed Grace's back. "I expected you to be a bit more clever than that, Lieutenant Commander. Gracie, you stay here with your…Uncle Steve while I go see to your mommy."

Steve could only blink in response. The little girl clung to him tightly, her sobs mellowing into moans and hiccups. Stunned, he rocked her close to him. Making three females cry simultaneously was both new and horrifying to him.

…..

She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Wake up, Danny. Wake up."

Danny's head shot up, eyes blinking wildly. Kono smiled. Everything about Danny was abrupt and rash.

"What happened? Where am I?" Danny sat up in the hotel bed, the hair on one side of his head sticking straight up.

"You're at the Kahala. Our cousin, Raymond, got us a room here. I've been looking over surveillance tapes while Chin went to see our cousin, Tuinei. Remember him? He was almost killed by the Salvos. Chin thought he might know who Frankie Jr. reached out to when he came to the island."

Danny nodded. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"The pain pills are kind of strong, I guess. You went to sleep about 12 hours ago."

"Kono, you have to be shittin' me." Danny crawled off the bed and landed on his ass. He groaned, got up, and weaved his way into the bathroom.

Kono lay back on the bed. He might be waking up, but she was getting desperate for some sleep. She heard a key at the door, and poked an eye open when Chin came into the room. His eyes widened. "I didn't expect you in Danny's bed."

"I just woke him up. He's in the bathroom with a vicodin hangover. How's Tuinei?"

"He's good. Even let me in the house. Let me hold the baby. I think he's really starting to thaw."

"Did you find anything?"

Danny stumbled out of the bathroom, his hair wet. He brushed against Chin without apology, dropped back on the bed and pointed a finger at Kono. "You are not allowed to medicate me again. Do you understand this?"

She leaned up on her elbows. "What can I say? You were a sleepy guy."

He folded his arms behind his head, and lay back on the pillow next to her. He looked up at Chin. "What does Tuinei know?"

Chin blinked. "I'm debriefing to my cousin and my teammate while they lie in bed together."

Danny shrugged. "It ain't no thing, is it, Kono?"

She nodded, her eyes droopy. "Seriously, Chin, Danny and I made out before. Remember? You know, during the time they were trying to kill Tuinei. We're cool."

Chin rolled his eyes and sat on the other bed. "We picked up a character down near Chinatown. Tuinei says he's the Salvo contact in Honolulu. We rousted him and found a picture of Danny and a picture of Grace in his apartment. We have him in a holding cell. Tuinei is doing the paper on this."

Danny sat up. "Now, we're getting someplace."

Kono nodded. "I found Eddie and Frankie J. on the hotel surveillance cameras. Concierge confirms that Frankie J. and his cousin, Mario, were here for almost three weeks. She thought they were great guys, terrific tippers."

"This is evidence." Danny rubbed at his drying hair. "Good work, guys."

"We have enough to do an extradiction with New Jersey. Tuinei is going to start the process."

"No, no, no, no." Danny shook his head. "If we do this publicly, Joe Salvo will know about it within hours. Frankie J. will disappear like a ghost."

Chin raised his hands. "What's the alternative, Danny?"

"We gotta' go and get him ourselves."

Kono sat up. "We have no jurisdiction."

Danny shrugged. "It's the only way to get him."

Chin narrowed his eyes at Danny. "You spend too much time around Steve. Pretty soon, we're going to forget due process all together."

Danny was on his feet. "You don't know New Jersey crime families. I do!"

"Danny, knock it off. We're tired. We're hungry and we're not going to do this right now." Chin lay down on the other bed.

"That little pig paid someone to kill my daughter. Do you think I will ever forget that?"

Kono raised her head. "Danny, seriously, we've been busting our butts all day."

Danny took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm sorry. You've both worked so hard, put up with so much. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Brudda'." Chin turned his head into the pillow. Kono closed her eyes.

Danny stepped back and looked at both of them. "I'm..uh, I'm going to go down to the restaurant and get some food for all of us. You just rest. I'll be back." For the first time in a month, nobody objected to Danny doing something. Danny carefully picked up Kono's purse at the door, looked back at his sleeping colleagues and walked out.

…..

Steve poked an eye open. His back was quite sore, wedged as it was against the back of the settee. He heard her short breathes, and found Grace still sleeping on his chest. He looked around. It was nighttime, and the only light was in the hallway. He started to lean forward when he heard a voice.

"Don't move, Steve. She hasn't slept fours in a row in a whole month. She's desperate for sleep."

"Rachel?" Steve could see a dark outline of her in the chair across from him.

"Seriously, Steve, don't move. I sleep with her every night now. She's whimpering or crying at least once an hour. She wakes in a panic at least three times a night. She hasn't made a single noise since she fell asleep on you."

Steve looked down at the tiny form in his arms. "She's exhausted."

She shook her head. "She feels safe. She feels close to her dad with you here."

He nodded. "Okay, she feels safe. You're exhausted too, Rachel. Why don't you go lay down? I'll stay here with Grace."

She didn't move. "I've been waiting for her to rest for so long."

"I didn't mean to upset you."

She chuckled. "Oh, you did, a little bit anyway. You want me to know how deeply Danny is suffering."

He sighed. "Maybe. I guess I needed to talk to you, convince you that separating her from Danny was a bad idea."

"I know it is. The therapist tells me twice a week."

"Then it's time to come home."

He was greeted with silence. Then she sighed. "I'm too afraid. What if I do, and everything goes back to normal, and then another one of your thugs decides to seek revenge. If I lost her…I would die."

"Then you understand what Danny is going through."

"Steve, he can't see her, but he knows she's alive. He knows she's with family who love her. He knows she's going to grow up."

"This is the reasoning that convinced my father to send me and Mary Ann off to relatives on the mainland for years."

Rachel leaned forward. "And you survived. Your father did that to protect you, and you came out of it okay."

Steve sat up, suddenly. They both froze as they waited for Grace to start crying, but the child was as limp as a doll. "I am not okay. I was miserable, Rachel. It won't matter what he says to her on the phone, she'll eventually convince herself that he doesn't love her. Mary Ann was a year younger than Grace when she was sent away. Have you met Mary Ann? She is most definitely not okay." He hissed at her.

"What would it have done to your dad if he kept you in Hawaii and you got killed? I'm thinking of Danny here as well. Do you understand what that would do to him?"

Grace moaned and Steve cradled her softly, whispering "Shhhhhhhh" into her ear. The child settled again.

"You're good at that, Steve. You're going to be a good father."

He snorted. "Watching Danny right now doesn't inspire one toward fathering children."

Rachel went quiet.

"If Grace had died, Danny would be destroyed, he'd be worse than he is now."

She sighed. "Okay, Steve, so you understand."

"I understand that life is risky. I understand that you could keep Grace inside the house for the next ten years so that she never gets hit by a car, but you're not going to do that, are you? Rachel, you need to understand that a part of me is missing because I lost my dad for those years. You don't have any idea how hard it is for me to open up. And then Danny came along, and all of a sudden, I want to feel…everything again. Mary Ann doesn't even believe our father ever loved her. When she's not drunk, she's high. Can you guess at the pain she's trying to mask? Can you understand that?"

She shifted in her chair. "You care about Danny."

He sighed. "As do you. So let's stay focused."

"Stay a few days. It's helping her."

"I'll stay as long as it takes for you to understand that she can't heal without her dad."

"I don't think it will change anything, Steve."

He rocked Grace again. "I guess we don't know that yet, do we?"

…..

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I confess that I struggled with this longgggg chapter very much. The story is pre-slash, and I have indicated that I am trying to explore the feelings between these two men emotionally. What resulted had to be re-written about 5 times before I was satisfied. I have spent most of my adult life in the Gay community, and I wanted to find as authentic a voice as possible for Steve and Danny and the connection they share. Honestly, I'm not sure I got it right. Please tell me what you think. I worked very hard on this. Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 5

"Aloha kakahiaka! Aloha kakahiaka!"

Light exploded into the room as the man threw the curtains open. Chin winced, shading his face with his hand. "Raymond!"

His cousin, dressed in hotel attire, wagged a finger at him. "You said only for one day. I expected you out by 8 a.m. this morning. I come in for the evening shift and you're still here."

Chin sat up. "What do mean? You're crazy. It's barely dawn. Sun's just coming up."

Kono groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Yesterday was Tuesday. I give you a room in the morning. Now it is Wednesday evening, 6:30. Sun's going down, Brudda'. You're lucky my boss didn't find you."

"Not possible." Chin felt off balance as he got to his feet.

Kono got up and went to the dresser. There were two trays of half eaten food.

She stared at the trays. "Danny brought us food last night. I remember he woke us up and had us eat. I can't remember anything after that."

Chin came out of the bathroom holding a pill bottle. "Why is this empty? And why there remnants of powder on the sink?"

Kono frowned and took it from him. It was the vicodin Danny was taking. She closed her eyes. "Raymond, you didn't happen to run into our friend, Danny, out in the hall or downstairs?"

"Nope."

She looked at Chin. "We fell asleep around midnight last night. Danny brought us each a plate of pasta with alfredo cream sauce. Woke us up. We ate. Went back to sleep. That was 18 hours ago. What do you want to bet that powder in the bathroom is ground up vicodin? What do you want to bet he spiked our food?"

Chin paced. "Where is he? Kono, what do you think? Is he storming the jail? What is that boy thinking right now?"

She chewed her bottom lip in concentration. "Chin, I don't think Danny is on the island anymore. I think he drugged us to get enough lead time for a flight to New Jersey. I think he's home right now tracking down Frankie J."

"Yep, that's it. Goddamnit." Chin cursed. "Kono, call the airlines! Find out how long it takes to get to New Jersey from Hawaii. That tiny blonde iole! Wait until I get my hands on him."

Raymond threw up his arms. "Hey, you guys gotta' clear out. I could get in big trouble here."

"Shut up, Raymond!" They both said simultaneously.

…

Steve didn't have much of a plan. He was on his third day in Manchester and he'd acceded all of his power to two British women and a 7 year-old. So he just hung out. He ate when he was told. Went to sleep when directed, and generally tried to stay out of the way. He wasn't bored. There was no chance of that. Every moment, Grace was awake she kept tabs on him. It was clear that she thought he could disappear at any moment, and with him, all hopes of seeing her dad again. It wasn't hard. He loved her, and his heart had been stolen by her pain. So whether he liked it or not, Steve had temporarily signed on as nanny.

The small, stuffy house couldn't easily contain an active man like him, so he and his new charge spent most of the day walking back and forth to the nearby park. He pushed her on the swing, spotted her on the slide, and sat with her on the bench while she just held his hand and leaned against him. She didn't say much. Her thoughts tended to get acted out at home when she and the Navy Seal played dolls.

Dolphin trainer Annie was her alter ego of choice, and as much as he tried to introduce new adventures, she seemed fixated on a story where dolphin trainer Annie could no longer train dolphins because her dad had been beat up and taken, and Uncle Steve needed to find him. Steve questioned whether he should encourage it, but his instincts told him to let her guide him to what she needed. He ended up rescuing dolphin trainer Annie's dad from bad men several times a day. A few times, he caught Rachel standing at the doorway watching. Part of him wanted her to see this and understand how she was contributing to Grace's pain, but there was another part that recognized that her suffering was as real as Danny's. He did his best not to push her.

There had to be an end to this stalemate, but Steve had few skills for navigating his way through this sort of entanglement. He'd gone in with his story of abandonment, but was left shipwrecked by their grief. Leaving Grace would be hard. It would feel like yet another abandonment, and it would be from the person with the most connections to her father. He knew an exit strategy would involve a conversation with Rachel, and he suspected that she would remind him that while his presence now was therapeutic, his exit would be devastating to the little girl.

Grandma enticed Grace into the kitchen with the promise of baking biscuits together. Steve found Rachel in her bedroom staring out the window.

He cleared his throat. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

It startled her and she jerked her head in his direction. "Of course. I'm sorry. You must be getting tired of all this."

There was a rocking chair near the door and he sat down. "I like spending time with Grace. Believe me, it is not a chore being here."

She smiled warmly. "She's been sleeping through the night. I just hope she doesn't regress once you're gone."

"Rachel, you know how to fix this."

She sighed. "You understand that I am struggling too?"

"With good reason. I wish I could make guarantees but there are none. I only know that when my dad sent my sister and I away, it was confusing and hurtful especially for Mary. She still believes our father never loved her."

"I know." She met his eyes and, for a moment, he wondered if he might be booking plane fare for three. Then his phone rang. She blinked and turned away again.

Steve cursed the interruption. "_What!...Huh?... How?...The Salvos? You gotta' be kidding me, Chin!…his son, Frankie J. and you know this how?…He did what?...with vicodin?…Christ almighty! What the hell does it take to babysit one man with a frickin' head injury?._..Rachel turned around again. Steve tried to eye her reassuringly, but his attention was riveted to the multiple problems Chin was listing for him. "_It will take too long for you and Kono to get there. Cancel the tickets. I can make to New Jersey in probably 6-7 hours…No, you and Kono need to stay in Hawaii and get the evidence pinned down. I have years of experience hunting terrorists, Danny should be no problem for me…I didn't say he was a terrorist. All right, I get your point. He's been terrorizing you and Kono for days…Keep calling his cell. Let me know if he answers…I'll call you from the airport."_

Rachel waited until he closed his phone. "This is about Danny, right?"

Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Apparently, the men who tried to kill him and Grace were not hired by the gang we thought. It looks like it was a hit that came out of New Jersey. There was a crime family we tangled when we first started working together. Danny's gone back home to search for the guy who put out the hit."

"He should still be resting." She looked terrified.

"It was a bonehead move, but Danny's feeling desperate and he knows that the mafia crime families are under federal jurisdiction. Getting extradition on this suspect could take years. I'm afraid he's picking up some of my…habits."

"I can book you on something within the next few hours. Stan has all of the premium airline perks."

"Thanks, Rachel."

"You'll call when you find him. Please."

"Of course. And I need something from you. I need phone numbers for his mother, his family, best friends, police department buddies. Whatever you can find."

She nodded. "Got it. You'll talk to Grace once more before you go?"

"I think there's time for one visit to the park."

….

The swing was a bit too small but he sucked it up and kept in time with her. "Gracie, I have to go home today."

She didn't respond.

"I got work to do. Your daddy is going to help me. I'm going to see him in a little while."

She got teary, but stayed quiet.

"I'll tell him about all of the stuff we did."

She looked up at him. "Tell him if that if he comes to get me, I'll promise to be good. I won't lose my toys anymore. I'll do whatever he says. When he tells me to run from the bad guys, I'll do it right away. I'll be the best monkey in the whole world."

He stared at her. Her mother said her world was small. The reasons for all that had gone wrong came down to her behavior in her young mind. There still was no room for the complexity of what had happened. She believed that if she behaved, he would come back for her. It must have been the same for Mary Ann. She must have blamed herself when Dad never came for her all those years ago.

Steve got off the swing, picked her up in his arms, and whispered into her ear. "You are already the best little girl in the world. Your Danno knows it. He wants to come so very much, but…he's still looking for the bad guys that hurt you. He wants to stop them so you and your mommy can come home."

She sniffled into his neck.

"Your Danno misses you so much. He's sad too. I'm going to go find him, and help him catch the bad guys. I'm going to tell him how much you miss him. Okay monkey?"

She nodded into his skin. His growing love for her overwhelmed him and a lump formed in his throat. He turned her so she was looking in his face. "You have to promise me something, Gracie. You have to promise that you'll never forget how much your dad loves you. You have to go to bed at night and remember that he's thinking of you. You have to sleep like a good girl and eat whatever your mommy gives you. I will call you in two days. You will see your Danno. I promise you."

She nodded solemnly and he smiled at her. If Rachel couldn't face her fears, he would convince Danny to get lawyers involved. The need to bring Danny and Grace together again consumed him. It felt personal both because of his past and because of the feelings he had for his irascible, funny, and loyal partner and the man's beautiful little girl. His first responsibility was to corral his crazy partner and keep him safe.

….

Danny sat at the end of the bar and watched a group on the other side of the room. They were partying hard, the young man in the middle was drinking Stoli straight from the bottle. It was just another night in the life of Frankie Salvo Jr. There were two other goons and four females. They were dressed expensive, but looked like they'd been styled by the cast of Jersey Shore. They talked tough, drank hard, and laughed too loud.

Danny couldn't remember the last time he felt that happy. He turned to the lurking bartender. "I need a ginger ale in a low ball glass with ice."

The bartender raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that, you goof. You're going to charge me for a scotch and pocket the difference."

The bartender shrugged and brought him a ginger ale on the rocks. Danny flipped a twenty and told him to keep the change. Danny sipped on the soda and tried to ignore the pain pounding in his head. He had no questions about the pain. It was undoubtedly a combination of the head injury or the jet lag or the fact he hadn't slept well since Hawaii. He'd left all of his medications behind, but it didn't matter. He couldn't risk the side effects of pain medication now.

He had gone from the airport straight to his cousin Mikey's apartment. Mikey was the cousin outside the family. His alcoholism and drug use had long ago taken the kid Danny remembered, but because of his status, Mikey's was the safe place to go. If he went home, mom would see through his unannounced visit within minutes. Most of the rest of his family would too so he was at Mikey's and it left him a little sick to use his drug addicted cousin like this. Mikey, of course, was excited to see him and asked no questions about Danny's weight loss or pale skin. Danny borrowed clothing from Mikey and used his contacts to track Frankie J. It only took the afternoon, and Danny left him $500 when he left. He wanted to make Mikey that he wouldn't use it for drugs or alcohol, but he knew Mikey would make that promise and then be racked by disappointment when he broke it. Danny wasn't coming back to Mikey's. Even Mikey would have questions for him if Danny's plan went as expected.

Danny nodded at the bartender, "When you gotta' call for police, what's the average response time?"

The bartender stopped drying glasses and glared at him. "I'm planning for a nice quiet night here."

Danny cocked his head at him. "Sometimes, our plans don't work out. What kind of response time?"

The man sighed. "10-20 minutes."

"Okay, I'm going to need you to call them now. Tell them there is an assault in progress. Better chance I make it out of here alive if you do it right now."

The man cursed and reached for the phone. Danny slid off his stool with his glass. He smoothed his hair back and walked over to Frankie's table with as much cockiness as he could muster. He stared Frankie in the eye while sipping his fake scotch. Silence fell on the table.

Frankie scowled at him. "What you want?"

"Come on, Frankie, you know me. I was going to cost you $50,000. My daughter was $20,000. You never had to pay up. Remember? It wasn't that long ago."

Frankie Salvo Jr. was bigger than his dad. He had the kind of guido dark good looks that some young girls looked for in New Jersey, right down to the freakish tan. Danny had the pleasure of watching the color drain right out of that baked skin. Frankie Jr. said, "I, I don't know what you talking about."

Danny smiled at the brief stutter. If these were to be his last moments, he was planning to enjoy the hell out of them. "Well, I, I will enlighten you." Danny heard one of the girls snicker. "I'm here because you never finished your business. I would have thought that Frankie Sr. and Joe would've taught you better than that. Or didn't they know about this side trip? What do you think Joe would say if he found out you put a hit on a 7 year old child?"

Frankie stood, his two friends getting up along with him. "Listen, Asshole! I'm here with my friends having a nice time! I don't need you coming over here making wild accusations! You can't back up none of that!"

The three men were big and probably spent 20-25 hours in the gym every week, but there was something about guys this age. They were too cocky. They thought muscle was the whole battle. Danny knew they would be quick but clumsy. He'd been that way, 10-15 years ago, but he was smarter now. Being short might seem like a disadvantage but it gave him a low center of gravity. As long as he stayed on his feet, he figured he could outlast them.

Danny smiled again at Frankie J. "We have the goon you hired at the Kahala in Oahu. We have you on surveillance cameras. We also have the guy who contacted once you got on the island. We even have the frickin' photos taken of me and my daughter. I bet your filthy fingerprints are all over them. Everybody's talking. The feds have the extradition order. You think they follow you around for no reason? They're biding their time, waiting for the right moment. You think I don't know what it's like to be separated from my child. I do understand that. Wouldn't wish on a single soul, not even you, Frankie J. Just as soon as we get you extradicted, I'm going to make sure you and your dad are reunited. I can't promise you the same cell, but I don't see why the two of you can't spend every day in the rec yard having some quality father son time."

Frankie pointed. "I'm going to fuck you up."

Danny shrugged. "You tried. Didn't work. My turn, you piece of garbage!"

Frankie lunged but his friends held him back. One of his friends hissed, "Remember what Joe said about getting arrested again."

"This is too big for you, Frankie. You're not smart enough to get out of this alone. Of course, ol' Joe is one solution, but I promise you he'll know that you put a hit on a child. Joe still goes to mass every Sunday. What's he going to say about that?"

Frankie broke away from his friends and ran at Danny. Danny timed it as best he could so that when Frankie grabbed him by the shoulders, he could ram his knee as hard as possible into the man's groin. Frankie let out a strangled howl and dropped to his knees. Danny stepped back, ready for Frankie's friends. He dodged a fist to his face, but caught a punch in his gut that sucked out all of his breath. "Stay on your feet. Just stay on your feet." Danny thought to himself. If they got him on the floor, they could kick him to death in only a few minutes. Danny threw a punch to the neck that left the man grabbing for his windpipe.

Danny wasn't a world class fighter, but he'd been a street fighter since he was a kid, and he knew how to harness the power in a punch. Frankie was still on the ground, nursing the hernia invading his testicles. The man with the bad neck was only temporarily sidelined. The third man came at him hard. It was the punch to his healing ribs that told Danny he should have questioned his plan more closely. The stabbing pain left him reeling, and it gave time for the man to catch him hard under the jaw. Head snapped back, Danny felt a darkness descending on him. He swayed and fell back onto floor. He curled up, hands over his head, and prayed he could protect his fragile skull until help came.

…

Steve looked sharply around the Newark airport. Rachel told him that Danny's old partner, Tony, was going to pick him up, but no one around fit the bill for a seasoned homicide detective. He was about to grab a cab on his own when he spotted a beautiful Latina woman coming toward him, waving at him. She was an exotic beauty with light caramel skin, freckles, long dark hair, and eyes as green as a Hawaiian lagoon. Danny had never been gender specific about his partner, and so Steve had always assumed Tony was a man.

She walked right up to him and shook his hand. "Steve McGarrett."

He nodded. "And you're Detective Tony Valdez."

She nodded. "Come on. I've got a car waiting and we don't have a lot of time."

She followed her to a Chevrolet sedan and climbed in the back seat after her. A uniform was driving. Tony leaned forward. "Take us back to the Eastside. I got suspicions we'll find him there."

She sat back and looked at him with piercing eyes. "While you were on the plane, Danny made his first move."

"Did he call you?"

"Are you kidding? Danny knows I don't do stupid. And I checked with his mother, and the family hasn't heard a thing."

"What do you know?"

"About midnight last night, Danny stuck his hand in the hornet's nest at a club called Scores. Walked up to Frankie Salvo Jr. and his thugs and started a fight. They would have beaten him to death if the bartender hadn't brought a baseball bat to the party. Cops showed up a few minutes later. Danny was pretty beat up, but showed his badge. Refused to press charges. Went to use the bathroom while they were waiting for an ambulance. He climbed out the back window. We haven't seen anything of him in the last five hours."

"I don't get it. Why would Danny confront Frankie J. in a public place like that and then not have him arrested?"

She ran a hand through her thick hair. "I worked with Danny for almost four years. And what I know is that Danny likes to crawl under a person's skin. He likes to be an irritant. He is often able to provoke responses in suspects that they wouldn't normally give."

Steve muttered. "He's been crawling under my skin since the day I met him."

"Yeah," She replied softly. "I know the feeling, but when he does it out of affection, it's not quite as bad. He's…endearing."

Steve could see an untold story in her eyes but there wasn't time to press. "You think he was trying to provoke Frankie J."

"Frankie has half the brains of his father and a fourth of what his grandfather has. He's a violent man with none of the Salvo finesse. Nobody sees him making it to thirty years old."

"Sounds like that would be a gift to the world."

She raised an eyebrow. "You won't get any argument out of me."

"Where do you think Danny went?"

She shook her head. "I've been up since 3 a.m. knocking on doors. His mom has two of his brothers and a bunch of cousins on the streets checking old haunts. We've learned that he stayed with cousin Mikey for a few hours yesterday. Mikey's an addict, and doesn't see much family anymore. Clearly, Danny is trying to stay underground. I got people checking hotels and motels within a twenty mile radius of the club. I suspect Danny didn't go far, as beat up as he is. He's hiding out somewhere."

"How hurt do you think he is? He's still recovering from skull fracture and broken ribs."

She could see the worry in his eyes. "Rachel told me all about what happened in Hawaii when she called yesterday. Also told me she took Grace away. Knowing how Danny feels about that child, he's probably operating on half a death wish right now."

"He's hurting pretty deep right now. I was just in Manchester trying to talk Rachel into bringing Grace back to Hawaii."

She looked at him closely. "He's really got you hooked, doesn't he?"

Steve shifted. "I don't know what you mean, but he's the best partner I've ever had, and he is…a friend."

"Well, don't fall in love with him. He's a heartbreaker."

Steve didn't respond. Both he and Danny came from two of the most homophobic systems out there, and yet the constant cracks about them being married never seemed to rankle. The growing bond between them had always been left unacknowledged. Yet, here he was, flying planes over oceans for a guy he'd known for less than a year. There was something about what she said about being in love that cut at him.

She considered him for a moment. "I wasn't trying to imply anything about you and him. It's just that there's something addicting about Danny. I was his partner for four years and..uh, let's just say that I was probably talking about myself more than you."

"Don't worry. It's not a problem." Steve sat back and looked out the window. He hoped she would have the good sense not to drag him any further into a conversation of this kind.

The driver turned. "Did you hear the call come in, Detective Valdez? I think we found him."

….

Danny woke from his restless slumber to the sound of knocking on the door. He groaned. He didn't expect anyone to find him so quickly. He tried to rise up, but his ribs screamed in protest. The best he could do was roll onto his side and let his arms do the work. He was taking his time. It was the only way to get upright and convince people that he was in better shape than he was. He figured someone had run off to get a key from the manager when there was a loud thud and the door came crashing down. There was only one person in his life uncivilized enough to kick a door in when a key was readily available. Someone found the light and he found himself blinking into the faces of Steve and his old partner, Tony.

Danny scowled as best he could with his jaw swollen to the size of a grapefruit. "I thought you were on vacation."

Five days of travel and worry and tension and culture shock caught up with Steve and he exploded. "Yeah, Danny, I've been playing craps in Vegas all week long! And I was on a helluva' winning streak when I got pulled away for this nonsense! You want to piss me off? 'Cause you've succeeded in spades, my friend!" Steve advanced on him, his nose inches away from Danny's.

Tony grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away. She knelt in front of Danny. "What's wrong with you? You come to town and you don't even call your friends."

He patted her cheek softly. "Sorry, partner, I'm sort of up to no good. Wouldn't want to drag you into it."

Steve sat in the corner watching the two of them. He flinched when Danny called her 'partner'.

Tony looked him up and down. "You need an ambulance."

Danny shook his head. "Don't waste your time, Tony. I'm going to refuse treatment. This ain't nothing that a few days of rest can't fix."

"You think you can scare Frankie Jr. into something? It isn't going to work. I've been watching that boy for a couple of years now. Kid is a straight up sociopath. Joe Salvo's at the end of his rope trying to figure out what to do about him."

"That's sort of what I'm hoping for."

She sighed. "That's all you're going to tell me?"

Danny ignored her question. "I'm just a guy spending a few days in his hometown. You gonna' arrest me for that?"

"I want to help."

He nodded. "Then watch Frankie J. for me and tell me when he goes to visit Joe."

Tony backed away. "Not without knowing what you're going to do next."

He looked up at her and shrugged. "Then all you can do is stay out of my way, Babe."

She had her hands on her hips. "No way. This is my town now, not yours."

Steve watched the interplay between them carefully and then he stepped forward. "Let me talk to him, Tony. I haven't known him as long, but I think I understand where his head is at right now."

She shook her head and pointed her well-manicured finger. "Danny, I'm going to have people following you. You aren't going to get a slice of pie in this town without a couple of unmarked cars on your tail. You hear! You do something stupid, I'm stepping in. I'll arrest your ass if I have to."

Danny nodded at her. "Give me a day or two and we'll catch up like a couple of old friends ought to."

"I'm going to be watching you." Tony warned him. She looked at Steve, shook her head, and stepped over the fallen door out of the motel room.

Danny shivered. "It's frickin' winter out there, but you gotta' kick down a door, Genghis Khan! What the hell is wrong with you? I'm going to freeze to death here!"

"Yeah, you're not staying here."

Danny put up a hand. "Uh-uh, you touch me and I'm going to kick the shit out of you."

Steve froze. Danny had such a raw look on his bruise mottled face; a look that Steve hadn't seen on anyone since he spent time in Afghanistan. Danny was in pure survival mode. Steve softened. "Come on, Danny. I'm not going to force you to do anything, but you gotta' admit that you picked the shittiest motel on the strip. It's a permanent convention center for bedbugs. I just want to help you up and take you someplace a little cleaner. Seriously, Danny, that's all I want to do."

…..

Half an hour later, a squad dropped Danny and Steve at a much cleaner hotel with an extra large pizza. Danny sat on one of the beds, painfully chewing what little pizza he could get into his mouth. Steve sat in a chair in the corner wincing as Danny tried to eat. "We should have gotten soup."

"Shut up," Danny mumbled while holding his face. "I know you didn't go to Vegas. Your voice on the message you left me had that 'I'm going to save the day' quality to it. It took me a couple of days to figure it out. How's Grace?"

"She misses you very much. I spent three days with you, and she was focused on you the whole time."

"It's not getting better?"

"No, Danny, and it's not going to get better. I told Rachel how my dad did this same thing to me and Mary Ann when we were young."

Danny cocked his head. "I don't think I knew that."

"A Samoan gang was threatening him, and he sent both of us to the mainland for a couple of years. It was miserable. We never really understood what was happening. We felt abandoned and it didn't matter how many times people told us that our dad loved us. We were too young to intellectually process why his absence made us safer. It was simple. If he loved us, he'd be with us. For Mary Ann, it was worse. I think about that every time I look at Grace."

Danny put his slice of pizza down. "This is happening to my Grace?"

"She wants me to tell you that she'll be a good girl if you come get her. She won't make any more mistakes. So already she's blaming herself. Pretty soon, she'll believe that you're not there because you don't want to be. She can add that to the idea that it's her fault."

Danny closed his eyes. "You're killing me here. It's not my choice. You know that."

"Well, you need to forget that stupid promise you made. You didn't understand the consequences then. We'll get a lawyer and fix this."

"_We_ will get a lawyer. When did this become a _we_ thing?"

Steve shook his head. "Whatever, Danny. I got a stake in this too."

"Why? You want to fix what happened to you and Mary Ann? You're worried that the state of Hawaii will lose a valuable law enforcement officer? I don't get it, Steve."

Steve sighed. "Let's not have this particular conversation right now."

Danny pushed the pizza box away and patted the bed. "Come here. Seriously. I'm completely harmless, and I'm tired of trying to talk to you from across the room."

Steve got up and sat on the bed. "I'm really not in the mood for this."

Danny ignored him. "I never had a friend like you before. You challenge me, you fight with me, but you're also willing fly to the other side of the world for me. I got loyal friends, for sure, but this is personal for you."

Steve shrugged. "What do you want to me to say? Should I profess my love for you?"

"That wouldn't be so bad."

Steve stared at him. "You want that?"

"You're thinking I'm talking about sex? I'm not. Not really. Not quite sure how much either of us is wired in that direction."

"You're not sure?"

"Please, my cousin, Timmy, is one of my best friends and he's gay. I grew up watching that whole struggle. Busted my knuckles more than a few times dealing with the abuse he got from people. Timmy prefers men but knows how to appreciate women. He says that sexuality occurs on a continuum. Some people are more straight than others and some are more gay. I'm capable of imagining sex with a hot guy, but the fantasy always gets screwed up 'cause I'm a sucker for a nice pair of boobs."

Steve shook his head. "Danny, that is TMI. Definitely TMI!"

Danny's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Tell me yours."

"Why? Because you think I'm gay?"

Danny rolled his eyes. "You emotional cripple! Talking about anything with you is like teaching math to a German Shepherd! You've got all this insight about Grace but when it comes to your own emotions, you're a huge moron!"

"Thanks, Danny, because being called names has always been my favorite part of you."

"Listen to me!" Danny leaned toward him, but the pain in his chest seized up and he moaned.

Steve narrowed his eyes. "Remind me again why taking you to the hospital is a bad idea?"

Danny closed his eyes and let his chest settle again. "Okay, no more name calling. No more sex talk. Just listen to me, please. I want to say something to you, you giant…Navy Seal person! You're a closed off kind of guy. Let's why you have aneurysm face all the time. You're just trying to suppress your emotions. Military did part of that to you. But a big part of this is your family. You've lost almost everyone. Mary Ann's all you have left and she is not a stabilizing force in your life. Losing your mom must have hurt like hell, and I can't imagine having my other parent murdered."

Steve leaned back on the bed and covered his face with an elbow. "Danny, we have other pressing matters right now. You can psychoanalyze me later."

"I'm your family, Steve, just like Kono and Chin, but when you look at me and you look at Grace, it's like you're seeing possibilities you never knew existed. We're bringing something out in you that's new for you."

Steve let out a deep breath and turned his head toward Danny. "I don't understand what that means."

"We need each other. I need you to care about me, and you need me to show you how to bring people into your life. Being in Hawaii for Grace was enough to keep me functioning but it wasn't enough to make me happy. You and your crazy, twisted ideas and the danger and our duty to the island, knowing you would take a bullet for me and I would do the same for you. It's wild and I love it, but mostly because you're there. You make being away from my family bearable for me because you are my family now."

Steve rolled on his side and looked at him. "I don't feel alone when you're around. That sounds stupid, I guess. If anyone is there, of course, I'm not alone."

A grin found its way onto the less swollen side of his face. "That's a good start, Superman. I'm going to get some of those face cards with the different emotions and we'll practice different expressions and the words that go along with them. It'll be fun. I can yell out words like 'contemplative' and you can show me that face."

Steve grinned in spite of himself.

Danny stared into his eyes. "Seriously, man, you went to check on my daughter for me. You flew all that way to England, you goofball, and you spent time with my little girl to make sure she was okay. And you did it for me. You got a heart as big as the Grand Canyon, but you don't want anyone to know it. I'm not ever going to forget what you did and I love you for it, Steve."

Steve blushed. "Thanks Danny."

"I mean, if you could grow a pair of nice, soft, squishy boobs, you'd be irresistible to me."

Steve threw a pillow at him before considering the consequences. Danny jerked in reaction and doubled over in agony. He scowled at Steve out of the corner of his eyes. "You are a gorilla ape, McGarrett! You know that, right?"

….

Hours later, Danny was softly snoring. From the other bed, Steve sat against the headboard, watching him and worrying. Every time Danny shifted, he groaned in pain. Steve waited for signs that his breathing was labored. At that point, he wasn't going to worry about what Danny wanted. An ambulance was going to be called.

However, it wasn't Danny's breathing that worried him most. He'd finally wrangled the second part of Danny's plan out of him and it sounded wild, take no prisoners Navy Seal wild. It was a Hail Mary pass with very little chance a receiver was going to get there in time. However, Danny was committed and that meant that Steve was too. He couldn't effortlessly talk about things like Danny could, but he could show Danny just how much he was willing to risk for him.

…

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I thought this would be the last chapter, but it will take another 8-9 pages to clean up all the loose ends, and I figured an 11 page chapter is long enough. I have lost a number of readers here on fanfiction, but readers like crockettsgirl who really take the time to encourage have made up the difference. If you are out there and reading this, let me know. Sheila

The Promise

Chapter 6

Danny sat up on the bed sipping the coffee Steve ordered up from room service. "I don't think it'll work if you come with me. It's better if I do this alone."

"Not an option." Steve said as he pulled a t-shirt over his head.

"You're not right for this. You're wearing cargo pants for Christ's sakes."

Steve shrugged. "Then it's not happening."

Danny shifted uncomfortably against the headboard. "I do not need a babysitter! You will let me do what I have to do for myself and my daughter!"

"I profoundly disagree…I mean, about the babysitting part. You do need a keeper, Danny. You can barely move."

"When I stand up, I'll be fine." Danny reached for some half eaten toast.

Steve sighed. "Bottom line. I go with you or it does not happen. No more discussion."

"I can't take you looking like that. It's not Jersey. We're trying to blend in, and you look like a frickin' rock climber. Feds will spot you. We'll never make it in the door."

"What's wrong with how I look?"

Danny threw up his hands. "Where do I start? The cargo pants? The t-shirt? The undone hair? The hiking boots? You'll stand out like a sore thumb in that neighborhood. They'll think you are a tourist who maybe wants to take a picture of a real wise guy."

"I do not look like a tourist!"

"You look ridiculous!"

Steve was on his feet. "I do not!"

"I'm not going to argue with you. We're in my territory now, and I say you look ridiculous, and we're not doing this with you looking like that."

"Then I guess we're not doing this." Steve said with no small measure of relief.

"We are doing this! I have to do this! I want you to remember something, McGarrett. I wore flowers for you."

"What! Flowers!"

"The serial killer thing. I wore flowers for you!"

"This is crazy! That was a lei. It was a disguise."

"They were flowers!"

"All right, Danny. I'm done arguing with you." Steve strode over and palmed Danny's wallet.

"What the hell!"

"If I leave you alone in this hotel room, I got to trust you're going to stay where you are." Steve bent over and grabbed Danny's shoes. "I will be back in half an hour."

"Hey! You barbarian! Put my things down!" Danny hollered after him as he slipped out the door.

….

It took more than half an hour, Danny counted every minute and planned to let him know it, but when Steve opened the door, Danny was rendered speechless. Steve was wearing a leather jacket, a blue silk shirt, black pants, and loafers. Even more wild was the hair spiked high with gel, the shirt unbuttoned halfway down his chest, a gold St. Christopher necklace, gold watch, bracelet, and Knights of Columbus ring.

Danny made a choking sound and fell over onto his side. Immediately, Steve thought he was having an attack of some kind and rushed over. He quickly realized that the only thing Danny was dying from was laughter.

"Oh God, my ribs hurt so bad," Danny howled.

Steve scowled. "I look Jersey. That's what you wanted, right?"

Danny wiped tears from his eyes, still lying down on the bed. "How did you do this? I know you're superhuman, but how did you accomplish all of this?"

Steve gingerly touched the stiff spikes on his head. "There's a barbershop a couple of blocks down called Vincenzo's."

Danny smiled. "I used to have a ride a beat in this area. I know that place well."

"So I went in and there were a bunch of guys, and I explained the situation and I mentioned your name, and Vincenzo remembers you. They, uh…took over. I think they were having fun."

Danny used his hands to carefully walk himself to a sitting position again. "We're going to have to get all of this stuff back to him. Vincenzo is no joke."

Steve shrugged. "He made me sign a receipt but he said you're good for it. You really think this looks good?"

"No, it's hideous, it's horrible." Danny wrinkled his nose. "It is definitely not you, but it works for what we need to do."

"I don't think this plan is going to work."

Danny carefully slid himself off the bed. He found the worn jacket he took off Mikey and placed a leather fedora on his head. "Feel free to back out."

"Can't. We're family, right?"

Danny looked at him out of the corner of his eye and nodded. "Help me put this jacket on, you goof. Your fashion show did a real number on my ribs."

…

Steve felt like he was going back in time. The cab went down streets that were still littered with mom and pop businesses. It was a distinctly Italian area; older women were still doing their grocery shopping in housedresses and men stood in the doorways of shops and talked.

Steve turned to Danny. "Are you sure about this?"

Danny stared ahead. "That reminds me that you should probably do little or none of the talking. That surfer dude accent of yours is not good."

"I'm pretty sure Rachel's thinking of bringing Grace back to you."

Danny closed his eyes. "It's no good if I can't keep her safe. Someone puts a hit out on my daughter and they have to answer for it. End of conversation."

"Okay." Steve looked out the window again.

…..

They stopped at a rather shabby building with the name, Esposito, on the front.

Danny pointed out the window to a van down the street. "Feds. This is going to piss them off royally. They think they own these goons."

Steve nodded and followed Danny as he got out of the cab. He had little idea what Danny was going to do in there but the man was smart. He had to rely on trusting Danny and that was not a struggle for him. Danny pushed open the scuffed door and walked in. Steve followed. It was a smoky room. The men all looked up when they entered. Some had espresso in front of them and others had scotch whiskey. They were hard men. Steve could see it in their eyes. Two chairs scraped the floor, and a couple of men stood up, one of them was New Jersey's answer to Kamekona.

Danny stepped forward. "I'm here to see Joe Salvo."

An older man in a tracksuit growled. "This isn't how it works."

"Joe's going to want to see me. I have information about his grandson."

"Let me know what you got. I'll decide if Joe needs to hear it."

Danny stared him down. "Nope. I need to talk to Joe."

"Who do you think you are? Joe Salvo doesn't entertain every idiot that comes in off the streets. You're probably wired."

"I look like a fed?" Danny gestured at himself.

"Time to get out, scumbag. Take your pretty boy with you. Mario, take care of it."

Danny stood his ground, and the tracksuit nodded at the big man. He was all eyebrows and bulbous nose, and it was clear that kicking the hell out of people was probably his sole talent. Steve saw Danny grip the wooden bar tightly and knew that the Jersey boy wasn't going anywhere. Steve pushed past him and stood between Danny and the mountainous Mario.

The tracksuit smiled. "The pretty boy does your fighting? I thought he was just here as decoration."

Steve took off his leather jacket and dropped it on the bar. Danny saw the look in his eyes. Steve had spent much of the last month constrained from physical solutions. He'd been the friend to a difficult Danny and an uncle to a miserable Grace. Steve McGarrett needed a release. Danny relaxed against the bar.

Mario made a grab for Steve, and he deftly moved out of his way. Steve threw a leg into the man's gut and he howled. Steve was careful not to let the man get his hands on him. It was clear that the behemoth was very powerful, and so Steve stuck to martial arts moves, striking Mario repeatedly and unexpectedly. The big man grabbed a chair and raised it over his head. Steve moved out of the way, but a man sitting nearby stuck his foot out and tripped Steve. The chair landed hard on his shoulder. Steve howled, but he didn't stay down. He ran head long into the man's gut and drove Mario to the ground. Once there, Steve kicked him into submission. The pain in his shoulder was electric, but Steve kept at it until the man in the tracksuit shouted at him. Then Danny had a hand on his good shoulder and pulled him back and into a chair. Breathing hard, Steve looked up at him, but Danny was facing the tracksuit again. "Who's next, 'cause I haven't had my turn yet?"

For a moment, Steve feared someone was going to take Danny up on his bluff. Steve knew he was dealing with a separated or broken shoulder, and he couldn't imagine how either of them could keep this up for much longer.

The tracksuit finally stepped back. "I'll go talk to Joe."

Danny stood his ground, careful not to show the relief he was feeling. Two men helped Mario to his feet, but he wasn't lucid enough to focus any more attention on Steve. They must have waited ten minutes. Danny stayed next to Steve who struggled to mask the pain shooting down his arm and his chest. They were as vulnerable as they ever had been. Danny wasn't much for poker, but he stared down every man in that room like he was ready to throw down, knowing full well a 13 year-old kid could kick his ass at this point.

Finally the tracksuit emerged again and beckoned to him. Danny hooked Steve under his good shoulder and pulled him to his feet. The tracksuit stopped, "You can leave your muscle with us."

"Nope," Danny shook his head solemnly. "We're a team."

"I'll be okay, Danny," Steve mumbled, sweat beading on his forehead from the tremendous pain. Danny ignored him, keeping his eyes set on the tracksuit. Finally the man just shrugged his shoulders and gestured for both of them to follow. He led them down a hallway to a small room.

Inside were three old men in a bare room with toothpaste green walls. They were drinking espresso and playing pinochle at a worn wooden table. The completely bald one in the middle looked up and pointed at Steve. "He's the one who took down Mario?"

The tracksuit nodded.

The old man narrowed his eyes. "Where did you get those moves?"

"I'm a Navy Seal." Steve struggled to keep his pain in check.

The old man looked at the tracksuit. "Geno, this is what I am talking about. The guys need training. It's not a strongman kind of world anymore."

The tracksuit threw up his arms. "Joe, you want that I should enlist these guys in the Seals?"

Joe Salvo turned to the other old men. "This generation doesn't want to work for nothing." They both nodded sadly in agreement. "Geno, leave us alone now."

Joe looked at Steve again. "He broke your shoulder. Sit down."

Danny sighed. "Are you done with the pretty Navy Seal now?"

Joe looked at Danny. "You are a Jersey boy for sure."

"And I need to talk to you about something concerning your grandson."

"You talk like a cop."

Danny nodded. "Newark police 9 years. Hawaii State police the last year."

Joe grinned. "You don't want to play with the feds, do you?"

"I suspect your grandson has already talked to you."

Joe nodded. "I'm a little surprised you're on your feet so soon. You maybe need to take a chair as well."

"I'm just fine, Joe."

"You poked him just so he would come to me. Interesting strategy."

"Yeah, I did. I figured you'd need a little background before I showed up."

Joe took a sip of his espresso. "Frankie Jr. tells me you're trying to pin a crime on him. Says I'm not supposed to believe a word of it."

"Well, he's a sharp one, that Frankie."

"Tell me your story."

"He came to Hawaii 7 weeks ago, and put a hit out on me and my daughter. Hit was carried out, but as you can see, it didn't take."

"You got proof?"

"We got Frankie on camera with the assassin at the hotel bar. Money is exchanged. The assassin himself has been arrested. He'll testify. We found the Salvo contact in Honolulu. He still had pictures of myself and my daughter in his possession. It's a done deal."

"So why come to me?"

"The extradition is going to be a problem. The feds will get involved. You could hide Frankie Jr. I don't see him coming to justice any time soon."

"What? You want me to help you?"

Danny leaned forward. "If I had my way, I'd take your grandson, pull out his eyeballs with my fingers, force them down his throat, and then shoot him in the neck for what he tried to do to my little girl. But I don't get to live in that kind of world. That's your world."

"You want me to kill the boy?"

Danny chuckled. "No, Joe. That's my fantasy. I want to give you a reason to put Frankie Jr. on a plane to Hawaii, and have him surrender to the HPD."

"Why would I do that?"

Danny grabbed a chair now and slid up to the table. "Frankie Jr. is a disappointment to you. You can't get him to follow the rules."

Joe shrugged. "My problem, not yours."

"Yeah, but he came to Hawaii and tried to kill me and my child. My child is 7 years old. Her name is Grace. He had a separate contract on her life. Does that sound like an authorized hit to you? My guess is that your lovely wife goes to mass every morning. You can't help me, I just have to assume that it was authorized. I have friends at the Star-Ledger. You know how they feel about you. I'll write the damn story myself, if needed. There will be a picture of my child. She's angelic. Maybe a headline that says, "Mafia family turns to child murder." You like? My guess is that the wives in your family are going to get very worked about this. They let you and your goons get away with all your crap because they believe there are rules. Killing a child is against those rules."

"You're going to sic my wife on me? I'm going to do what you want because I gotta' sleep on the couch? This is your deal?"

Danny took a deep breath. "You don't like planes, Joe. It's just a rumor but I believe it. Your son, Frankie Sr., is incarcerated in Hawaii for the next 15 years. You got 15 years, Joe? The Navy Seal here can arrange for Frankie Sr. to be transferred to a prison not 20 miles from your house. He can also arrange for Frankie Jr. to serve his sentence here as well. You'll have Frankie Jr. right where you can keep an eye on him."

Joe cocked his head at Danny. "You think you're going to walk out here alive?"

Steve tensed in his chair.

Danny never broke eye contact with Joe. "I think you're a smart man, Joe. Send someone down to Honolulu, and we'll show him what we got. I think this idea is really going to start to grow on you."

"You're a confident little son of a bitch, you know that?"

"Now you're making cracks about my size. You act like you want to adopt my Navy Seal friend here. But me, you just want to disparage. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Joe chuckled. "You got some balls on you, cop."

Danny shrugged. "What do you want? I grew up around here."

Joe Salvo put his hands flat on the table. "Okay, meeting is over. I'll think about your idea."

"Don't wait too long. I'll go to the Star-Ledger in two weeks if I don't hear anything."

"Don't threaten me, cop!"

Danny stood and helped Steve to his feet. "You know how to reach me, Joe."

The two of them made it out to the large room. Danny waited for Joe to call for Geno, but it didn't happen. He and Steve walked out the front door with no resistance. Steve leaned over, "They gonna' shoot us."

"Not in front of the feds," Danny muttered. "Who knows? Maybe I got to him."

"He didn't look convinced."

"Shut up and keep walking."

The two of them got to the corner of the block and turned. Three squad cars were parked, Tony Valdez leaning against the hood, her arms folded. Danny let out a breath. He smiled at her, "How could you possibly know?"

"I got contacts, Williams. I see Commander McGarrett's been tuned up a bit."

"Too mad to call me Danny, huh?"

"You're an idiot. The feds can't figure what the hell just happened now, but they're not dumb, and they are going to figure this out."

"We need a hospital, Tony. Both of us."

She could see the toll that holding McGarrett up was taking on her old partner. She snapped her fingers and four uniforms trotted over and helped both of them into the waiting squad cars.

…

Danny woke up to a smell he had known for 34 years. He smiled and opened his eyes. "Mom."

She had the same blue, crinkly eyes as he did. She leaned forward and kissed him on the check. "You are an idiot, my son."

"Yes, you are right about that." He looked around the room. "Did I have surgery?"

She nodded. "One of your ribs was really a mess. Bone shards."

"How about my head?"

"Neurosurgeon doesn't want to touch it. He says that if you could refrain from any more injuries to the noggin, you're likely to heal. But it's no joke, Daniel. Your CAT scan still shows trauma that should have healed a month ago."

"Sorry, Mom."

"I've heard that before." She looked at him long and hard.

"Where's Steve? He had a broken shoulder."

She reached over and pulled the curtain that separated one bed from the other. Steve was sleeping in the next bed, a cast secured to one shoulder and arm. "He had surgery too."

Danny looked over. "Never seen him that peaceful."

"He seems like a very nice young man."

"He's one of us now, Mom. Can't tell you how much times he's had my back."

She smiled. "I've never had such a handsome, dark-haired son. Is McGarrett an Irish name?"

Danny shrugged. "Doesn't matter. That boy is 100% Hawaiian."

"Will he listen to me any better than you do?"

Danny raised his eyebrows. "Not sure. He's bull-headed, but he'll do anything for the people he cares about."

She shook her head. "Tony told me the whole story. I cannot believe you went into that social club and spoke to that criminal."

"Steve kept me safe."

"I've been talking to Rachel and Grace."

Danny looked away. "I almost got her killed, Mom. Whenever I think about it, I can barely breathe."

She took his hand. "That's not what happened and no one thinks that. Grace needs you desperately."

"Did you call Rachel about this latest…fiasco?"

"I tried but I couldn't reach her. Rachel will listen to reason. She just needs some time."

Danny shook his head. "But I am sitting there across from Joe Salvo, and I realize that I live the kind of life where I am the only thing that separates her from monsters like that. My life brings her in such close contact with evil."

Alice Williams nodded. "That's why you have to teach her to be strong and take care of herself. I don't think that a more sheltered life will necessarily prepare her for the real world. You can teach her how to live in a world with monsters. It's a gift, my son."

Danny frowned at her. "I gotta' think about that."

She patted him. "You do that. In the meantime, you need to rest. Docs say that I get to bring both of you home tomorrow. I want you to make a list of the kinds of things Steve likes. It's going to be homemade dinners and family for the next three days at least."

"He'll eat anything."

She pointed a finger. "You ask him what he likes when he wakes up. He's under my wing now and I plan to get to know him. I have to do some shopping."

Danny watched her leave. He thought about the losses Steve had sustained over the years, and he hoped the stubborn Seal would let his family fill some of that space. He looked over at Steve, and realized that the idiot still had his eyes closed, but wore a very satisfied smile on his face. Danny looked for something to throw at him.

…

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Writing this was a lot of fun. I really loved playing with the characters. The last chapter was a struggle. I am trying to tie up loose ends without making it too boring. I am so grateful to the people who have read this with me and told me their thoughts. I would love to hear what you think about this final bit of craziness.

The Promise

Chapter 8

Alice Williams handed two plastic containers to Steve as he sat in the living room watching football with a host of relatives' whose names he'd forgotten. "Do you think this will fit in your backpack?"

Steve smiled at her. "I'll make sure it does."

Danny broke away from the TV and narrowed his eyes. "What? What is that? What are in those containers?"

"Cookies. Steve seems thin to me."

Steve leaned over to Danny and murmured. "I'm too thin."

Danny made a face. "Mom, there is nothing wrong with him. He eats like a shark at a feeding frenzy. With his shoulder all strung up, he can't quite shovel it in at the same pace right now. He'll be fine."

"We're trying to watch the game here!" exclaimed an uncle or a cousin or a brother. Steve had frankly lost track as to everyone's names.

Alice had her hands on her hips. "Steve rarely cooks. He needs more home cooked food."

Danny gestured his arms at her. "What about me? I need home cooked food."

She raised an eyebrow before disappearing into the kitchen again. "I taught you to cook. You just choose not to use your skills."

"I was not trained to cook for myself as you were." Steve muttered under his breath to Danny.

Danny glared at him. "I could throw you face first through the window over there."

"Mom wouldn't like that," Steve responded.

"I want to rip your face off sometimes." He growled.

"Danny, you're killing us here! We're trying to watch!" erupted another voice.

"Just watch the game, you idiots!" Danny countered.

"Daniel! I don't want to hear you talk like that…especially to Steve." Alice frowned at her son as she returned with a cookbook. She handed it to him.

"He's got you snowed, Mom. He's not a nice person. What is this book for?"

Alice turned to Steve. "He's like his father."

"I am not like him!"

This time nobody told him to pipe down. The Williams' men with arms folded, eyes glued to the flat screen, seemed to understand the need for this particular interruption.

She locked eyes with him. "It's okay to be like your dad."

"An alcoholic who hits his wife and kids? I don't think so."

Steve watched in awe.

Alice reached over and grabbed his healing jaw. "You're my passionate son. Just like your father. It's one of the things I loved so much about him. But that doesn't mean you hit the people you love. That is not you."

Danny deflated more quickly than Steve had ever witnessed. "Sorry, Mom. You're right."

She patted his cheek. "You are very precious to me, Daniel."

"Why did you give me a cookbook?"

"So you could bake some nice cookies for Steve. It won't work for me to send cookies all the way to Hawaii for him." Alice gave him a knowing grin and darted back into the kitchen before he could protest.

"She's amazing," Steve said as he watched her leave.

Danny looked up at the ceiling. "Shut up, already!"

"Take that advice yourself, Danny, you moron!" exclaimed a cousin several bodies to his right. Danny tried to scramble over relatives to get at him, but beefy arms and boos repelled him and he was again shoved back into his place next to Steve.

He folded his arms and leaned over, "I hate you."

Steve picked a peanut butter cookie out of a container, looked at Danny out of the corner of his eye, and smiled as he bit into it.

…..

Steve dunked his hands back into the hot, soapy water and pulled up another pan to scrub. She insisted he wear an old barbeque apron while washing. Alice Williams stood next to him, one hand leaning on the counter, the other one holding a damp dishtowel. She took the well-scrubbed pan from him, rinsed, and vigorously dried it. "You don't need to help me with dishes, Steve."

"I don't mind. I sort of have a system here."

"A true Navy man through and through."

He grinned at her. "Yes, Ma'am."

"It's been a pleasure to have you here."

"I imagine I'm not the first stray Danny's brought home."

She took a bowl from him and rinsed it. "You're not a stray, Steve. Definitely not a stray."

Steve nodded in response.

She handed him the dishtowel. "Dry yourself off. Let's sit down."

She poured a cup of coffee for each of them and sat down across from him. "Steve, you've been taking care of my son. It means a lot to me."

Steve sighed. "Actually I have put him in quite a bit of danger numerous times. We get…intense cases. Most of the time, I'm working to get him out of the trouble that I've sort of initiated. I'm probably not the best influence in his life."

"Ah, Steve, you just don't know. My son has been in trouble since he was 12 years old. Suspensions from school. Explusions. Gangs. Fights. Running away. Arrests. It's always been hard for him to contain himself. But he thrived on challenges. He found the right program in school. Went to college and became a cop. Met Rachel and they had Grace. He's the best dad I've ever seen. He just needs the right mountains to climb; challenges that keep him focused. He's a lot like his dad, you see."

"He hasn't really told me much about his dad."

She shook her head wearily. "Well, we could talk for hours about that, but suffice it to say that Danny takes after his father. After he and Rachel split, I was so worried. He was so angry all of the time. He started drinking. The last couple of years have really taken its toll on him. He's a smart man but he also has his father's propensity for depression. An Irish curse, really. I thought he was getting ready to pick up where his dad left off."

Steve sipped his coffee and waited.

"He was right to follow Grace to Hawaii, but it was hard to have him that far away. He needs family around him to feel stable. Danny needs to take care of things, people. All he had was a few hours a week with Grace, a studio apartment, and a job where no one knew what he was capable of doing. Steve, you changed all of that. I talk to my son every week and I worried about him so far away, but his voice changed after he met you."

"I bet it did."

"Oh, my Danny complained and he had such stories about his crazy new partner. But it was like he was waking up. He was excited again. I know 5-0 is a dangerous assignment, but I also know that he cares about the work deeply and he talks about you and Chin and Kono. He talks about you, especially. You're reckless and bullheaded. You're impulsive. But to my son, you're also courageous and willing to take chances to save people and catch criminals. You listen to him, he makes you laugh, and you really care about him. He feels that. It fills a very important hole in his life. And that brings me so much comfort."

She reached over and took his hand. "You really are a part of this family now. Please know that."

He nodded and took her other hand. "Danny fills a hole in my life too."

She smiled. "I know enough about your family history to believe that."

"Steve! Steve! We're going to Sals!" The kitchen door swung open and Danny cocked his head at the two of them, blinking. "What the hell? You making a pass at my mother? You Hawaiian moron!" Then he grinned wickedly. "All right, I'm over it already. Get out of your apron and get in the car."

Danny disappeared out the door. Alice winced at her son's sudden intrusion and then squeezed Steve's hands once more. "Just remember that he's special."

Steve shook his head slowly. "I don't think I have a choice."

…

Danny wasn't afraid of flying, he just hated it. Sitting for hours upon hours in a small seat in direct contact with strangers he didn't want to know better, it was a singular kind of torture for him. He spent the whole time restless and irritable. In short, he was Danny squared when he was on a jet.

Steve had survived by sleeping most of New York to Los Angeles with the help of some Dramamine. Danny grumbled and poked at him, but Steve was just tired enough to ignore him. On the layover at LAX, Steve shoved the Dramamine in Danny's hands and insisted he take two. Danny began a round of protests, but Steve didn't care. He stalked off to listen to the messages on his phone.

One of the messages brought jelly to his knees and he had to concentrate on not sliding down the wall to the floor. He eyed Danny from a distance. The man had reluctantly taken the drugs and was now pacing the gate with a congealed hamburger in one hand and a diet coke in the other. Steve made a decision. He would let the contents of the message be a surprise. If they knew, the flight crew would have thanked him. An excitable Danny was little different than an irritable one.

On the flight, Danny popped a third Dramamine. 20 minutes later, still awake, he popped a fourth, and Steve grabbed the drugs away from him and asked a flight attendant to throw them away. 30 minutes later, Danny was asleep. Even in sleep, he didn't stop moving. He thrashed about with his airplane pillow trying to find the right angle against the window. Steve attempted to read a book he picked up about the D-Day invasion on Normandy.

Steve felt him land on his shoulder somewhere over the Pacific, snoring softly. At first, he did nothing. Danny was bound to move again in minutes. But this time, Danny had truly settled into a peaceful sleep. He snored into Steve's ear and wrapped an arm around his torso. The flight attendant passed and raised an eyebrow at Steve and he smiled nervously in response. Two businessmen across the aisle sneaked peeks in his direction. The only solution was to push Danny back toward the window again.

He was getting ready to launch a sufficient shove, when he was seized with a thought. If all these people weren't ogling them, he really wouldn't care if his feisty friend was wrapped around him like an eel taking a nap. Danny was an acquired taste, but Steve had definitely acquired it. Steve had little thought of further implications. He just didn't care. It made sense to leave Danny Williams right where he was and just go back to his book. Life was too complex for the assumptions and judgments people relied on so desperately, and he decided to metaphorically flip the bird to his fellow passengers.

Steve returned to his book, concentrating on the events of June 1944 while Danny snored into his ear like a big ole' dog.

…

Danny managed to extricate himself from his partner when they landed, and oddly enough, he did it without comment. He just wiped the sleep out of his eyes, made sure his hair was pointed in the right direction, and followed Steve off the plane. In the terminal, Steve grinned at a text message, and took Danny by the elbow. "We need to stop in the VIP lounge."

"Why?" Danny scratched at his head with blurry eyes. It was clear that Danny had more Dramamine to sleep off.

Rather than explain, Steve pointed at Chin and Kono who were waiting for them outside the lounge. Danny darted behind Steve. "They know not to hit me, right? 'Cause I've been hit enough for the next two years. Doctor said so."

Steve reached back and dragged the smaller man forward. "Be a man, Danny."

Kono didn't wait for an invitation. She ran up and hugged him tightly. "I'm glad that the Boss brought our bad haole back to us."

"Sorry," Danny began.

Then Chin swallowed him in a hug. "You have no idea how many drinks you owe me?"

Danny grinned. "I'm an asshole. What can I say?"

Chin smiled back. "I gotta' hear that Joe Salvo story from you. 'Cause I don't believe it. It's starting to sound like an urban myth to me."

Kono took his arm. "You really just walked into his place and had a showdown with the man. I mean, really?"

Danny winced. "Yeah, well, we're filing that little experience under 'cautionary tales' actually."

"Hey," Kono said. "We got big news."

"Spill."

"Frankie Jr. is flying in tomorrow with his lawyer. He's surrendering himself."

Danny hooted and picked Kono up, twirling her around. "That is some golden news, you juicy little pineapple."

Once he was pried off of Kono, he attempted similar assaults on Steve and Chin. Steve finally got him in a headlock. Then he gestured toward the VIP lounge. "We still gotta' stop in."

Danny started to protest, but Steve steered him toward the door. Danny didn't have a chance to wonder what was going on. The door opened and brown eyes and pigtails rushed him. She was in his arms before he could react. Steve figured that a reunion of this magnitude needed privacy so he ushered them all into the lounge.

Grace cried into his neck, and Danny held on for dear life. He looked around the room and found Rachel standing there. He shook his head, his eyes wet. "I don't understand."

She shrugged her shoulders. "I was stupid. Keeping her safe can't include keeping her from her dad. It was stupid."

"I'll be more careful, Rachel. I promise."

She shook her head. "You're the guy who bought her a safety helmet to wear under coconut trees. I think you have a handle on being careful with our daughter, Danny."

Grace stopped crying and Danny pulled her face off his chest. "Hey Monkey!"

Rachel stepped forward with a pink duffel bag. "I packed enough things for a week. She's, uh…going to need some time with her dad."

Wet brown eyes looked up. "I want some shave ice, Danno, and I want to see the dolphins and I want to go to the beach and I want to give Kamekona a hug."

He cocked his head at her. "You sure you wanna' go back to the beach?"

She looked at him unblinking. "This time, I'll run exactly when you tell me to. No more mistakes."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and swallowed hard. "That's not going to happen again, Grace and you didn't make any mistakes. The only ones that screwed up were the bad guys for being bad and your mom and I for thinking we could hide you from the world."

She regarded him for a moment, rubbing his scratchy beard with her hand.  
"Okay, but you and mommy are done with those dumb mistakes. Understood?"

Danny nuzzled his nose in her shirt. "I promise, Monkey."

….

Steve sat at the bar in his suit, his only suit. It was Navy blue, of course, and it was sharp. It only needed a white dress shirt underneath with a few of the buttons undone. He took another long draw off his Longboard beer. Bartender had insisted on a glass for his tall neck, it was that kind of bar, but Steve grabbed the bottle before the man could pour. More laughter erupted inside the restaurant and he smiled. They were having a good time and he was glad. Everyone in there deserved to have a good time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a blonde tornado heading in his direction. He leaned over, "I'm going to need two more Longboards and skip the glasses."

Danny was wearing a black suit with a blue striped tie. Despite his love for ties, this one laid around his neck untied and his shirt unbuttoned. Danny was feeling no pain. Steve handed him a longneck before he could start in. He took a quick swig and then fixed his considerable energy on his partner. "Where's my frickin' credit card!"

"In my pocket."

"You are not paying for all of this. It was my score to settle."

"Kamekona just ordered four more chocolate volcanoes for the table. Stan's in there drinking blue label, and Chin has drank more vodka than I have seen a man drink at one sitting and I'm a frickin' Seal."

"My problem, not yours."

"Chin's kind of fun when he's drunk."

Danny grinned. "He's a happy drunk. He laughs at everything and grins like a Cheshire cat at everyone for no reason. I even caught him grinning at the wall."

Steve laughed. "True. How's my little friend doing? It's getting a little late for Grace."

"She's fine. She's sleeping on her mom's lap."

"Is Kamekona having a good time?"

"Well, I've counted three Filet Mignons, two Lobster Thermidors, ten Blue Hawaiians, and two chocolate Volcanoes, plus the four more he just ordered for everyone at the table."

Steve gestured toward the table with a look. "Did you see that dress on Kono?"

Danny let out a low whistle. "She more than gave Rachel a run for her money in that sexy, red number. And if I see Stan stare at her backside one more time, I'm gonna' clean his clock for reasons too complex to consider. "

Then he punched Steve in the arm. "Do not distract me. I am still seething about the credit card. I am in full seethe."

"Danny, do you know how much money I have in the bank?"

Danny put his hands in the air. "I'm your accountant now?"

Steve sighed. "I put a lot in savings as a Seal. Not much time to spend it. My dad had a huge amount of life insurance out in his name. And the house is paid for. I have $257,000 in my savings account."

Danny swallowed. "Impressive, for sure, but you got to think about retirement."

"I have. I've already maxed out two 401K accounts."

Danny stared and then made a face. "Oh my God! You are disgusting! You make me want to vomit."

Steve nodded and went back to his beer. "I thought you might react like that."

Danny pointed a finger. "You are paying, but only because I have been buying Donald Trump's bastard son beer for most of the last year. You frickin' miser!"

Steve grinned and took a swig on his new beer. Danny shook his head, working on his own drink. Steve looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "Remember back when we were in New Jersey, and you were beaten to a pulp, and you engaged me in a rather bizarre conversation in the hotel room."

Danny's eyes widened. "Okay. What about it?"

"You wanted to know if this was personal for me. You, uh…implied that I might have more than brotherly feelings for you."

Danny threw back his head and laughed. "You just needed some liquid courage, didn't you?"

Steve shrugged. "I didn't know what to say then, but I think I can answer those questions now."

Danny reached over and squeezed his arm. "It doesn't matter."

Steve looked confused. "What doesn't matter?"

"What you're feeling, what I feel. It just doesn't matter."

"O-kay."

Danny chuckled again and gestured to the bartender. "Two more, please. It's on my friend."

Then he swiveled so he was facing Steve. "Listen to me. It doesn't matter. I know what I want, and I'm not going to let feelings get in the way."

Steve blinked. "Enlighten me."

"You're my best friend and I need you. We need each other. We're saving each other in a way. And let's face it, you're hot. I mean, I haven't ever thought about a guy, but you're like a talking, breathing hormone. It's not a stretch." Danny saw the look in Steve's eyes and put a hand up. "Yeah, don't interrupt me now. I'm trying to tell you something."

Steve got his new beer and swallowed most of it in a single gulp.

"So, here's the deal. All this sexual tension ain't good enough. I need you too bad for all that."

Steve shook his head. "I am so freakin' confused right now."

"It's simple. I'm an over-communicator and you are an under-communicator. Do you know how long it would be before we'd kill each other for that reason alone?"

"I honestly never thought about it." Steve reached for his beer again.

"And here's another thing: you are a casual guy. Just think how many women you've disappointed with your 'friends with benefits' approach to dating."

Steve threw his arms up. "What! I am not that person and I've never told you anything like that ever."

"I'm just saying that I'm one of those women. I'm not a casual guy. I am a committer. I'm the clingy sort."

"Didn't needed to know that, Danny."

Danny shook a finger. "It would be great for awhile, but then eventually I'd lose you. Admittedly, for a long while, it would be wildly hot. Insanely so. Epic even. Still, you're an adventurer. You need variety. You'll get bored. It would be too painful. I probably wouldn't want to work with you after that, and that would be bad."

Steve dropped his face into his arms. "I give up."

Danny ignored his theatrics. "No, I've thought about this. What we have right now is too important. You know, my daughter loves you. I mean, it's more than fun Uncle Steve. My baby feels safe with you, she thinks about you, she cares about you. We're not going to disrupt that with any complications."

Steve lifted his head. "Sounds a like a plan."

Danny sighed and looked off into the distance. "I'm afraid you'll just have to worship me from afar. I feel bad about that, but it's really the best for everyone."

Steve stared at him, slack-jawed. "Really?"

"You'll get over me."

Steve nodded. "I have no doubt of that."

"For right now, we stay focused on what we've got."

"Not a problem."

Danny nodded. "Glad we had this talk."

Danny slid off the bar stool, grabbed his beer bottle, and tried to casually walk off. However, he couldn't keep the urgency out of his step as he rushed around a corner just to slide down the wall in hysterical laughter.

Steve shook his head as if trying to loosen the craziness lingering within. Then he gestured for the bartender to drop three more longnecks in front of him alone.

….

The End


End file.
